Which of the following is an acquired trait?

• A. Hair color
• B. Eye color
• C. Language spoken
• D. Height

Answer: (C)

An acquired trait is something you develop after birth through learning, experience, or environment rather than something you inherit from your parents. Language spoken is learned; people pick up the language(s) they hear from family, teachers, and their community, and they can change or add languages over time. That makes it an acquired trait.

Hair color and eye color are determined by the genes you receive from your parents, which is why they’re inherited. Height involves genetics too, though nutrition and health can influence how tall a person grows, but it’s still primarily shaped by genetic factors. So language spoken best fits the idea of an acquired trait.