Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

motherese

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: moth-erese
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"With its slow and exaggerated intonations, motherese speeds language learning by providing input that is easier for infants to process."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr Proto-Germanic *mōdēr Proto-West Germanic *mōder Old English mōdor Middle English moder English mother Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English motherese From mother + -ese.

Usage

Uncountable

Synonyms

baby talk babytalk

Questions

What does motherese mean?: Baby talk.
Where does motherese come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr Proto-Germanic *mōdēr Proto-West Germanic *mōder Old English mōdor Middle English moder English mother Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English motherese From mother + -ese.

How to pronounce motherese

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “motherese”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “motherese”.
Repeat and practice — Say “motherese” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.