A Review on the Evaluation of Speech Acceptability in Individuals with Hearing Impairment

Abstract

Speech acceptability is an indicator that shows the degree to which a listener feels natural after listening to the speaker. When it comes to individuals with hearing impairment, speech acceptability is an important factor for aural rehabilitation as it is related to their social adaptation. Speech acceptability evaluates the naturalness of speech, so it may not necessarily align with the accuracy of articulation or the level of speech intelligibility. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate speech acceptability along with speech comprehension during aural rehabilitation process. However, most aural rehabilitation sessions primarily focus on segmental aspects and currently, there is no consensus on a definition or evaluation method for speech acceptability. The purpose of this study is to discuss the importance of speech acceptability, which is still rarely included in the speech evaluation process for those with hearing impairment. © 2025 Korean Academy of Audiology.