When we see a baby it’s so natural to change the tone of our voice, use shorter sentences, repeat words, stretch out vowels, and use a sing-song voice. But did you know speaking to your baby this way also helps with her brain development?
These one-on-one conversations with your baby matter, and they especially make a difference for babies with hearing loss.
Parentese isn’t baby talk. It’s speaking in a high-pitched, sing-song voice with stretched-out vowels, slower pacing, and shorter sentences — and it helps babies learn language. Talking this way sparks brain development. Parentese activates babies’ auditory and language centers, supports vocabulary growth, and builds critical pathways for communication and learning. Every conversation counts. Whether you’re narrating daily activities or practicing “serve and return” exchanges, using parentese helps your baby — especially those with hearing loss — connect, listen, and learn.
Baby talk vs. parentese
Parentese is how you talk to your baby, but it’s not baby talk. Your baby doesn't learn from cutesy noises and sounds, like goo-goo-ga-ga. Babies do learn from hearing you talk to them. So how you talk to them is just as important as what you say.
What is parentese and why is it important?
Parentese is characterized by speaking in a high-pitched tone and sing-song voice with stretched-out vowels. It also involves using shorter sentences with longer pauses between them.
Research shows that when you use parentese, it catches a baby's attention and cues their brain that something new and exciting is happening. Parentese can benefit both baby and parents. It's mutually satisfying and supports the relationship you have with your baby.
It's also simpler and easier for your baby to understand. Because you're speaking slowly, it encourages your baby to participate, maybe with a smile, a coo, or a kick. You're creating a back-and-forth conversation, and that starts with parentese.
Another benefit of parentese is that it builds strong vocabulary skills. Studies show that babies who heard parentese had almost twice the vocabulary as children who didn't.
Babies' brains begin processing how to learn to talk from birth, simply by listening to those around them speak. There are two critical components in the process:
- The baby must be able to hear in order to listen. That means if she's deaf or hard of hearing, she needs appropriate hearing technology immediately after diagnosis and she needs to wear her hearing devices during waking hours.
- Parents and caregivers must be intentional about talking with their baby. They need to fill their babies' worlds with words!
How to use parentese
The early conversations we have with babies pave the way for listening, spoken language, learning, and literacy. The back-and-forth of conversations is critical to supporting the development of communication and social skills.
While parentese is important for all babies because it helps build the baby's brain for listening, language, and understanding, it's even more important for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. They need to hear all the highs, lows, patterns, and melodies of speech.
Parentese activates the auditory areas of the brain, and as a result, other areas of the brain are also activated. This gets those synapses firing and builds important interconnected neural pathways.
Make every coo count. Learn how to support your baby’s language development in the What to Expect app, where you'll find expert tips and advice from other parents.
Ways you can use parentese and things to remember
Here's how to use parentese and what to know when you try it with your baby.
- Your little one needs to hear you, so make sure she's wearing her hearing devices during waking hours.
- Babies love face-to-face interaction, and it helps their brains develop and grow. When talking with your baby, make sure she can see your face.
- For really little ones, it's best when you're holding them in your arms.
- As your baby gets a little older, you'll focus more on audition first, or making ear contact before eye contact.
- It's called parentese, but it's not just for parents! All caregivers should become fluent and use parentese when they talk to your baby.
Parentese with LSL strategies
Here are some ways to incorporate listening and spoken language tactics into using parentese with your baby.
- Play-by-Play: You can use the play-by-play LSL strategy and describe everything that's happening to your baby. This is perfect for parentese practice. Rather than trying to think of things to say to your baby, talk through what's happening in the moment, and describe the actions, reactions, and motivations as you go.
- Serve and return: Create a back-and-forth conversation with your baby, or a "serve and return." After you talk to your baby, you’ll want to pause, wait, lean in, and let her respond to you with a smile or a coo.
Remember, as a parent, you're a brain builder! The best way to grow your baby's brain is through meaningful interactions. When you talk, read, sing, and play together, you’re helping that little brain grow! Want to learn more about how to use parentese with examples? Get more ideas from this video.
This article was provided by Hearing First. Hearing First supports families and professionals to help children with hearing loss have the opportunity to take advantage of access to sound – a critical building block for future success.
Yes 
No 
