Babies laugh before they speak. We all notice it. We smile at the sound and enjoy the moment, often smiling as if we just heard the best joke of the day, even though we have no idea what it was about.
Sometimes we even laugh back, just in case that is what the moment requires, and then we move on. But that small detail says a great deal about how human connection begins. Communication does not start with words. It starts with feeling, timing and shared moments.
Long before language appears, a baby already knows how to reach another person, usually while the adults around them are still guessing what they want.
The brain grows in stages. Emotional and social parts develop earlier than the parts needed for speech.
Speaking takes time and effort. Laughter does not. A feeling, a sound and a sense of comfort are enough. That is why laughter arrives early, long before anyone agrees on what the first word was supposed to be.
At first, laughter can seem automatic. A sudden movement. A gentle tickle. A small surprise. The baby laughs without planning it, often leaving the adult quietly wondering what exactly worked. Then something changes.
Laughter starts to involve people. Babies laugh at faces, voices and familiar games. They laugh during playful routines they recognise.
Often, they look towards the caregiver while laughing, as if checking whether the moment belongs to both of them, and whether it is worth repeating again. Laughter becomes shared.
Very quickly, laughter turns into one of the first ways babies communicate. Before a baby can explain comfort or enjoyment, laughter does the job. It tells the adult that the moment feels good and worth repeating, sometimes far more times than the adult expected.
Adults respond naturally. They smile. They repeat the game. They stay close. Laughter keeps the interaction alive, and quietly turns many adults into full-time entertainers.
Through these moments, babies learn how interaction works. Someone acts. The baby reacts. Then it happens again, with a small change. This back and forth teaches timing, rhythm, waiting and responding. It is conversation practice long before words appear, with much less talking and much more smiling.
Babies also learn that laughter has an effect. Sometimes they laugh to keep the adult engaged. Sometimes they laugh to bring warmth and attention, a strategy many parents quickly discover is very effective.
Early humour looks nothing like adult humour. There are no jokes and no clever lines. Babies respond to repetition, exaggeration and small surprises that still feel safe.
A familiar routine changes just a little. Something happens again, but not in the same way. Babies notice these patterns and recognise what feels amusing without needing words, which quietly proves that timing matters more than punchlines. Playful moments often hold attention longer. When something feels safe and enjoyable, babies stay focused. That focus creates space for learning. Laughter marks moments that stand out, often the same moments adults remember years later.
Laughter also carries meaning through sound alone. Babies can sense differences in tone and rhythm. They can tell whether laughter feels familiar or unfamiliar. Even without understanding words, they are already reading social cues, sometimes better than the adults around them.
All of this happens in a rich social world. Human babies grow up surrounded by voices, faces and exaggerated expressions aimed directly at them, often without adults realising just how exaggerated they have become.
As children grow, laughter changes. Simple giggles turn into teasing, shared humour, and spoken jokes, and later into jokes adults politely pretend to understand.
A laughing baby signals comfort and safety. Caregivers respond by staying close and providing care. From a survival point of view, this makes sense. Behaviours that strengthen attachment help babies thrive. Laughter keeps people connected and makes even long days feel a little shorter.
Babies laugh first because connection comes before language. The heart learns before the tongue. Words arrive later. And if babies had words that early, they would probably still choose laughter, saving the talking for later.
Dr Khalfan Hamed Al Harrasi
The author is an academic and researcher
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