What criteria must an infant's vocalization meet to be considered a true word?

For an infant's vocalization to be considered a true word, it is essential that the vocalization is spoken with clear intention and closely resembles adult pronunciation. This means that the child is not just babbling or mimicking sounds; they are using words purposefully to convey meaning. The sound produced must be recognizable and consistent with the adult version of that word, demonstrating that the infant has an understanding of its significance.

In typical language development, infants begin to use words to label objects, express needs, or engage in social interaction, and these utterances often occur within a specific context that makes their meaning clear. Clear intention indicates that the child is using the word purposefully rather than randomly. The close resemblance to adult pronunciation helps ensure that the communication is comprehensible to others and marks the transition from pre-linguistic vocalization to meaningful language use.