Babbling (also called twaddling) is a stage in child development and a state in language acquisition, during which an infant appears to be experimenting with uttering articulate sounds, but not yet producing any recognizable words. Babbling begins shortly after birth and progresses through several stages as the infant's repertoire expands and vocalizations become more speech-like. Infants begin to produce recognizable words usually around 12 months, though babbling may continue for some time afterward.