Which of the following types of infant vocalization is most characteristic of the primitive articulation stage of early vocal development?

• A. squeal
• B. quasi-resonant vowel
• C. goo
• D. marginal babble

Answer: (C)

The primitive articulation stage is defined by simple, vowel-like vocalizations produced with minimal articulatory effort—sounds that show basic voicing and resonance with little shaping of the vocal tract. A prototypical example is a sustained, vowel-like goo, which demonstrates the infant maintaining phonation and a resonant, open vocal tract without complex consonant articulation. This kind of sound embodies the foundational, exploratory nature of early vocal development before discrete consonants and more varied babbling appear.

A squeal tends to be a more abrupt, high-pitched, noisy vocalization tied to affect or exploration and isn’t the characteristic pattern of that early stage. A quasi-resonant vowel describes a resonance quality rather than a specific distinct vocalization and can be present in other early sounds. Marginal babble indicates the emergence of simple consonant-like elements and is more representative of later babbling stages.