38 Down

NYT Daily • August 11, 2025

Parental term that is phonetically more difficult to say than "dada"

Answer:

MAMA

Hint:

This common maternal title often comes after "dada" in a baby's first words.

Explanation:

This clue plays on the idea that babies often say "dada" before "mama" because the "m" sound is harder to pronounce than the "d" sound. The answer "mama" fits as a common parental term that’s phonetically more challenging for infants. It’s a simple but clever way to highlight a well-known developmental milestone.

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