Development of Urdu Speech Audiometry Material for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community

What is it about?

We have successfully developed and validated standardized Urdu speech materials for clinical hearing assessments in Pakistan. The materials consist of 30 bisyllabic (spondee) words for assessing Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT) and 34 monosyllabic words for evaluating Word Recognition Score (WRS). These word lists were carefully selected based on phonemic balance, phonetic dissimilarity, listener familiarity, and audibility homogeneity. Evaluated with children with normal hearing, the materials demonstrated steep and consistent psychometric function slopes, reinforcing their clinical reliability. This marks a significant advancement in creating linguistically and culturally relevant speech audiometry tools, with potential applications in other regional languages across Pakistan.

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Why is it important?

Most speech audiometry tools are developed in English or other major languages, limiting their effectiveness in non-native contexts. By creating standardized Urdu materials, we are making hearing assessments more accurate, accessible, and culturally relevant for Urdu-speaking populations. This work lays the groundwork for equitable audiological care in Pakistan and sets a precedent for similar tools in other regional languages.