In language development, babbling refers to producing

A) different cries to signify different kinds of discomfort.
B) a wide variety of phonemes and consonant-vowel combinations.
C) sound by placing the tongue near the back of the mouth.
D) random combinations of words.

Babbling refers to the stage in language development when infants produce a wide variety of phonemes and consonant-vowel combinations as they explore the sounds of language. Crying (A) is an early form of communication in infants but it is not considered babbling. Placing the tongue near the back of the mouth (C) does not necessarily relate to babbling. Random combinations of words (D) are not typically produced until later in language development when infants engage in telegraphic speech.