To help everyone better understand noise-free hearing assessments, we introduce the “speech recognition test” and the “noise-free hearing test,” which are often conducted together.

The noise-free hearing test uses low-frequency sounds that are filtered and separated, not sounds commonly encountered in daily life. Therefore, the hearing levels shown by a noise-free program may not reflect the test subject’s actual language comprehension. This is why the speech recognition test is necessary. This test evaluates hearing using “speech sounds” — the tones and pitches we naturally use to make speech understandable. It measures whether the sounds heard by the test subject match the intended spoken message.

Language is a natural communication system, but everyone’s system is different. When encountering different people, different words may be used in testing. In practice, the tester reads certain words aloud and asks the participant to repeat them to assess how accurately the participant perceives and reproduces the speech.

Speech-Based Hearing Test

This is a routine part of hearing assessment, conducted via air conduction using speech sounds to evaluate a person’s ability to comprehend and repeat what they hear. There are two main methods:

1. Determining the speech detection threshold: This identifies the softest level at which the subject can hear and correctly repeat speech.

   Purpose:

   • To determine sensitivity to speech sounds

   • To confirm or cross-check pure-tone air conduction averages

2. Assessing speech recognition and understanding: The subject repeats one-syllable words at a comfortable or slightly above-threshold loudness level.

   Purpose:

   • To assess the ability to distinguish individual speech sounds

   • To assist in choosing an appropriate hearing aid

   • To guide hearing rehabilitation strategies

Next time your audiologist asks, “I’m going to say something—please repeat it,” don’t hesitate! Speak the words you hear out loud.

Digibionic offers free hearing assessments. If you have hearing problems, protect your hearing as soon as possible—we are ready to assist.