Wug Test

The Wug Test is a tool used by linguists to study how children learn language, specifically grammar rules. It involves showing children made-up words, like "wug," and then asking them to apply everyday language rules to these words, such as pluralizing ("wugs") or past tense ("wugged"). This helps researchers understand how children internalize grammar patterns, indicating that they learn these rules rather than just memorizing words. The test demonstrates that children can generalize language rules to new words, showcasing their developmental understanding of language structure.