# babbling

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #34,788

## Definitions
1. a stage in child language acquisition, during which an infant appears to be experimenting with uttering sounds of language, but not yet producing any recognizable words
2. sounds produced by infant during the babbling period
3. Idle senseless talk; prattle.
4. A confused murmur, as of a stream.

## Etymology
From Middle English bablyng, babelynge, equivalent to babble + -ing.

## Easily confused with
- **bailing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babbling-vs-bailing)
- **balling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babbling-vs-balling)
- **bawling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babbling-vs-bawling)
- **battling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babbling-vs-battling)
- **bubbling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babbling-vs-bubbling)
- **baffling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babbling-vs-baffling)
- **bumbling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babbling-vs-bumbling)

## Common misspellings (11)
`abbbling`, `babbilng`, `babblign`, `babblingg`, `babblinng`, `babblling`, `babblnig`, `bablbing`, `babling`, `bbabbling`, `bbabling`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/babbling