Effects of Word Difficulty and Talkers on Monosyllabic Word Recognition Tests

Kim, Eun-Ok; Lim, Dukhwan

doi:2006.2.2.102

Audiol > Volume 2(2); 2006 > Article

Review Paper

Audiology 2006;2(2): 102-106.
Published online: December 31, 2006.
doi: http://doi.org/10.21848/audiol.2006.2.2.102

어음 자극 난이도 및 화자 변수가 어음평가에 미치는 영향

김은옥¹, 임덕환²

¹중앙대학교 교양학부, 한림대학교 대학원 청각학전공
²한림대학교 언어청각학부 청각학전공, 청각언어연구소

Effects of Word Difficulty and Talkers on Monosyllabic Word Recognition Tests

Eun-Ok Kim¹, Dukhwan Lim²

¹Liberal Arts, Jungang University, Graduate Program in Audiology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
²Section of Audiology and Audiology & Speech Pathology Research Institute, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea

Correspondence

Eun-Ok Kim ,Tel: (033) 248-2210, Fax: (033) 256-3420, Email: eunoakk@hanmail.net

Received: December 3, 2006; Accepted: December 21, 2006. Published online: December 31, 2006.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this investigation was to rank 250 Korean monosyllables by their degree of difficulty and to find out talker effects. In the process of developing word lists in word recognition tests, important factors were equal degree of difficulty between word lists and equal range of difficulty within the individual lists. 250 monosyllables recorded by male and female talkers were presented to 2 subjects at intensity level ranging from -5 to 40 dBHL. These words were ranked by the order of difficulty for two talkers. The word ‘mal’(말) was shown as the most easy word for both talkers. ‘bok’(복), ‘bbul’(뿔), ‘set’(셋) were shown as hardest words for both talkers. The methods and results used in this investigation should help establish full lists with 50 words and half lists with 25 words. This procedure can shorten the test time and decrease patients’ fatigue. In addition to issues on degree of difficulty, some studies provided evidences of talker variables in the same materials. The effect of talker variables, such as gender difference and a person’s characteristics of speaking, can be controlled with some limitations when words are recorded in a digital format. These systematic approaches may lead to helpful information on rehabilitation of the hearing impaired.

Key Words: Monosyllabic word·Degree of difficulty·Talker effects.

중심단어: 단음절어· 어음난이도· 화자변수.