At what age do infants typically start babbling (consonant sounds)?

• A. 3 months
• B. 6 months
• C. 9 months
• D. 12 months

Answer: (B)

Infants typically start babbling, which involves producing consonant sounds, around the age of 6 months. This stage is crucial in language development as it signifies that the baby is beginning to experiment with vocalization and is developing the ability to form sounds that will later form words. By this age, infants are also able to play with pitch, intonation, and rhythm, which are fundamental components of speech. Babbling usually includes combinations of consonants and vowels like "ba," "da," and "ma," allowing for increased practice and preparation for later speech development.

Since the onset of babbling around 6 months represents an important milestone, it is indicative of the baby's cognitive and auditory development as they begin to interact more with their environment and caregivers.