COMD 4700 - Basic Audiology Exam 3 Definitions

Monitored live voice (MLV)

Presentation mode for speech audiometry using speech spoken into a microphone with visual monitoring of the voice level on a meter or digital display.

Speech awareness threshold (SAT)

Hearing level at which a patient can just detect the presence of a speech signal. Also called speech detection threshold (SDT)

Speech frequency region

Frequencies within the 500 to 2000 or 3000 Hz region that are important for the perception of speech.

Speech materials

Consonant-vowel combinations, words, sentences, and other forms of speech used in speech audiometry

Speech reception threshold

The lowest speech level at which a listener can correctly repeat or recognize approximately 50% of a small series of words. See speech recognition threshold

Speech recognition threshold (SRT)

The lowest speech level at which a listener can correctly repeat or recognize approximately 50% of a small series of words. A term preferred over speech reception threshold

Spondee threshold (ST)

Lowest level at which approximately 50% of two-syllable spondee words can be correctly repeated

Spondee words

Two-syllable words with equal stress on each syllable such as toothbrush, airplane, sidewalk. Also called spondaic words

Supra-threshold

A level above a person's hearing threshold. For example, word recognition testing is conducted at a ____ level

Articulation index

A measure of speech perception that quantifies the audibility of speech

Audiogram of speech sounds

A special audiogram form showing the frequency regions and the intensity levels of energy in different speech sounds

Carrier phrase

A phrase such as "say the word" or "you will say" that precedes every presentation of an item in a word recognition test in speech audiometry. A carrier phrase is not always used in word recognition testing

Closed-set response test

A type of speech audiometry procedure that includes a relatively small and fixed number of items like words or sentences that the patient responds to

Cocktail party effect

The phenomenon of hearing multiple voices at the same time and with concentration perceiving the speech of a single speaker

Loudness discomfort level (LDL)

The level of sound perceived as unpleasant or uncomfortably loud. Also known as uncomfortable loudness level (UCL)

Most comfortable level (MCL)

Hearing level judged by a listener to be comfortable (not too loud and not to soft). The level at which most people prefer to listen to sound

Multi-talker babble

Recording of ongoing speech of two or more speakers that is unintelligible

Open-set response set

A speech recognition test that includes many different items like words. patients have no advanced notice about which word they are about to hear

PBmax

Maximum score in word recognition performance for a list of phonetically (phonemically) balanced words

PBmin

The minimum score in word recognition performance for a list of phonetically (phonemically) balanced words at an intensity level higher than the level producing the maximum score (PBmax). Used in the description of rollover in word recognition

PI-PB function

A graph displaying word recognition performance in percent correct on the Y-axis as a function of the intensity level of the words on the X-axis

PB word lists

A list of 25 or 50 monosyllabic words that that contains the distribution of speech sounds (phonemes) as they are distributed in connected English speech

Phonemically balanced

A list of 25 or 50 single-syllable words in which speech sounds (phonemes) are represented with the occurrence expected in conversational or written speech.

Rollover index

A number describing the amount of rollover in word recognition scores in comparison to the maximum word recognition score

Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)

The ratio of an acoustical or electrical signal to background (non-response) acoustical or electrical activity (noise).

Speech discrimination

Distinguishing between two speech items that differ in only one speech sound like "cat" versus "bat". Sometimes inaccurately used to describe speech recognition

Speech-in-noise tests

A common type of test of auditory processing that requires recognition of a speech signal like a word or sentence in the presence of some type of background noise or speech

Word recognition

Repetition or identification of words presented in a list during hearing testing