What are repeated vowel-like sounds that convey happiness called?

Cooing refers to the early vocalization that infants typically exhibit, which includes repeated vowel-like sounds. This stage of vocal development usually occurs between around two to six months of age when babies express happiness, comfort, or general satisfaction. During cooing, the sounds are often soft, melodic, and characterized by a range of pitch. These sounds serve not only as a form of expression but also as a precursor to later stages of speech development, illustrating the infant's growing ability to interact with their environment.

On the other hand, babbling, which involves consonant-vowel combinations, typically emerges later, around six months to a year, and is more complex than simple vowel sounds. Gestures also contribute to communication but are not vocalizations, while first words usually occur after the cooing and babbling phases, marking a more advanced stage of language development. Thus, cooing is specifically recognized for the joyful, vowel-like sounds that infants make, aligning it perfectly with the aspects of happiness in vocal expression.