The Wug Test

The Wug Test, developed by linguist Jean Berko Gleason in the 1950s, is a tool to study how children learn language rules. In the test, a child is shown a fictional creature called a "wug" and then asked what two of them are called. Most children correctly respond "wugs," demonstrating their understanding of pluralization rules rather than simply mimicking heard phrases. This indicates that children internalize language rules, suggesting an innate grasp of grammar and an ability to apply it to unfamiliar words, shedding light on how language development occurs in early childhood.