At 9 months, which language skill is likely to be present in an infant?

The correct answer highlights that at 9 months, an infant typically begins to say simple, repetitive sounds that might resemble familiar words. While you might expect them to say "mama," this doesn't always mean they understand the meaning or are using it contextually. This milestone is significant as it indicates the early stages of language development, where infants start to produce sounds in a way that suggests they are beginning to grasp the concept of language as a tool for communication.

Babbling, which is also a common skill seen in infants around this age, involves the production of a variety of sounds including consonant-vowel combinations, but does not yet represent recognizable words. While it is an important precursor to actual speech, it differs from more defined words like "mama."

Producing short sentences and singing simple songs are more advanced language skills typically not observed until the toddler years, well after the age of 9 months. By that time, children develop a larger vocabulary and the ability to construct simple sentences or phrases. Therefore, "mama" serves as a key indicator of linguistic progress in the 9-month-old timeframe, showing the infant is on the path toward meaningful communication.