The science of baby talk

Mothers across the globe subconsciously change the tone of their voice when they talk to their baby to help them learn, a new study found. Regardless of the language spoken, all mothers use a universal'motherese' or'baby talk' when they address to their infants, which is an exaggerated and somewhat musical form of speech. While it may sound silly to adults, studies show it plays an important role in language learning, engaging infants' emotions and highlighting the structure of language to help babies decode the puzzle of syllables and sentences. Now Princeton University researchers have found another unique feature of the way mothers talk to their babies, claiming they shift the timbre of their voice in a specific way. A mother shifts the timbre, which is defined as the quality of a sound, in her voice so her newborn can recognize and pay attention to her from birth, the researchers explained, adding that the same could be true for fathers.