Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

How infants begin to extract words from speech.

Jusczyk1

  • 1Departments of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Ames Hall, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218-2686, USA.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|August 26, 1999
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Infants learn to identify words in speech by using various cues, developing this skill over time. By 24 months, their word recognition matches adult levels, crucial for language acquisition.

Related Experiment Videos

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

Multi-brain neurofeedback: what are we training for?

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

The developing vocal self.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Searching beyond decrements: Attentional guidance across the adult lifespan.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Looking into working memory through micro eye movements.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Timescapes of non-human experience.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same journal

Building word meanings from memories and predictions.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Linguistics
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Acquiring native language vocabulary relies on segmenting words from fluent speech.
  • Early word segmentation in English-learning infants (around 7.5 months) is limited to predominant stress patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how infants develop word segmentation abilities.
  • To explore the various cues infants use to identify word boundaries in fluent speech.
  • To understand the developmental trajectory of word segmentation from infancy to toddlerhood.

Main Methods:

  • This is a review article, synthesizing existing research on infant word segmentation.
  • Analysis of studies examining infant speech perception and language acquisition milestones.

Main Results:

  • Infants' word segmentation improves with age, incorporating more complex cues.
  • By 10.5 months, infants utilize statistical regularities, allophonic cues, and phonotactic patterns.
  • By 24 months, infant word recognition speed and accuracy approach adult levels.

Conclusions:

  • Infant word segmentation is a multi-cue process that develops significantly during the first two years of life.
  • Mastery of word segmentation is foundational for developing vocabulary and overall language understanding.