What characterizes "canonical babbling" in infants?

Canonical babbling is characterized by the rhythmic articulation of sound sequences. This developmental stage typically occurs around 6 to 10 months of age and marks a significant milestone in an infant's speech development. During this phase, infants produce repeated consonant-vowel combinations, such as "bababa" or "dadada," which demonstrate increased coordination of the mouth and vocal cords.

The rhythmic quality of the sounds reflects an emerging understanding of how different speech sounds can be sequenced together. This is an important precursor to later speech development as it helps infants practice the motor skills necessary for producing speech and begins to familiarize them with the patterns of their native language.

In contrast, the other options refer to different stages or aspects of language development that are not characteristic of canonical babbling. Words and complex sentences come much later in a child's development, typically emerging after the babbling stage. Single vowel sounds are simpler and do not encompass the rhythmic consonant-vowel combinations that define canonical babbling.