Speech Audiometry Focuses on How You Comprehend Sounds

What you can hear is an important part of an audiologist’s assessment, but just as relevant is your ability to understand the sounds you’re listening to. During a speech audiometry test, our provider at Glacier ENT & Hearing Services will assess how many sounds you’re able to comprehend. It’s an important step in determining which hearing loss treatment will serve you best.

What Is Speech Audiometry?

Speech audiometry is an assessment that measures your ability to recognize words and how loud sound needs to be for you to hear them. The test is divided into two portions: the SRT and the SD.

When Is Speech Audiometry Performed?

There are multiple instances when our audiologist might suggest a speech audiometry assessment. It’s helpful during hearing aid fitting and for diagnosing conditions like auditory neuropathy and tumors on the auditory nerve.

How Is a Speech Audiometry Test Completed?

During both portions of the assessment, you will listen to prerecorded speech through headphones and repeat the prompts to our provider.

• SRT: This measures your speech reception threshold, or how loud speech needs to be for you to hear it. Words are repeated at lower and lower decibels until you are unable to recognize what you hear. Once your response accuracy is below 50 percent, your audiologist will end this portion of the testing.
• SD: Speech discrimination examines your ability to recognize words using speech sounds at a decibel you can hear clearly – which is determined during the SRT portion of the test.

When Can I Get My Results?

Results will usually be shared with you at the end of the procedure. They are scored on a percentage scale and measured on an audiogram, a graph that measures the extent of your hearing loss. Once you receive your results, our audiologist will help you understand them and answer any questions you have.

What Else Should I Know?

If your audiologist has recommended speech audiometry, it’s a valuable step in treating your hearing loss. Having the assessment completed will allow our audiologist to create a treatment plan customized to your needs. You’ll be able to better connect with the world around you and all the sounds it offers.