Preverbal refers to the period of development before a child begins to speak. During this stage, infants communicate nonverbally through crying, babbling, or gestures. There are a few synonyms for preverbal that can be used interchangeably in different contexts. Some of these synonyms include nonverbal, unconscious, embryonic, prelinguistic, and pre-speech. These words describe the same concept of a child who has not yet reached the age where they can communicate through language. Preverbal skills are crucial for child development, as they lay the foundation for language acquisition and social communication skills. It is essential for parents and caregivers to support preverbal development to ensure healthy cognitive and communication development.