Speech Audiometry

Speech audiometry is a component of the audiological assessment that evaluates how well a person hears and understands speech, as distinct from pure tone audiometry, which measures the ability to detect simple tones. It includes two main measures: the speech recognition threshold (SRT) and the word recognition score (WRS).

The SRT is the softest level at which a person can correctly repeat familiar two-syllable words (called spondees) 50 percent of the time. It should align closely with the pure tone average from the audiogram. The WRS measures the percentage of single-syllable words a person correctly repeats when presented at a comfortable listening level, reflecting speech clarity rather than just audibility.

Speech audiometry results help the audiologist evaluate the impact of hearing loss on everyday communication, assess suitability for hearing aids or cochlear implants, and identify potential retrocochlear disorders when word recognition scores are unexpectedly poor for the degree of hearing loss.