Airflow, volume, and durational characteristics of oral reading by the hearing-impaired

This study examined airflow, volume,and durational characteristics of speech produced by hearing-impaired subjects using a face-mask-pneumotachometer-pressure-transducer system. Results or oral reading of a standard passage indicated that, in comparison to the normal-hearing subjects, the speech respiration of the hearing-impaired was characterized by high air consumption manifested as high air expenditure per syllable, high average expiratory airflow rates, and high peak-airflow rates; frequent inspirations; inspirations at linguistically inappropriate places; short duration of expiration; and large individual differences. These characteristics were especially prominent among the more severely hearing-impaired individuals. Correlational analysis revealed that more frequent inspirations were associated with poorer overall speech proficiency while high air consumption was closely related to a breathy voice quality.