It's a well-known fact that those who start to experience hearing loss have trouble with certain sounds. Words that rhyme, like cap and cat, can be hard to distinguish from one another. This can be one of your first alarming symptoms that you should get your hearing evaluated by a trained hearing specialist.

Let's Take A Look at the Speech Banana

Human speech naturally has different frequencies. In this respect, frequency doesn't refer to how often the sound is used. Rather, it refers to the audible frequency in which it resonates when spoken. When all the common speech sounds are mapped out on a graph showing their loudness in decibels and frequency in hertz, it becomes overly clear that the graph looks like a banana. This is where the speech banana gets its name!

When looking at the graph, the most high-frequency sounds in our everyday speak include "s", "th", and "f". Those who have high-frequency hearing loss, which is the most common type out there, have difficulty hearing these sounds. It's typically best for those around them to utilize other words that come across in a lower frequency as they'll be easier to hear.

Common Word Problems

With high-frequency hearing loss, some commonly used words are easy for sufferers to hear incorrectly. The most common is "this" because it's on the high-frequency end of the speech banana graph. Additionally, there are many words that start with the sound "th" that it becomes overly challenging to guess what word the person is speaking. It's recommended that you replace the word "this" with "that". The word "that" is much easier for people to hear due to its distinctive flatter "at" sound.

Another commonly used word that is difficult for those with hearing loss to distinctly hear is "nice". This is because the "c" sound is too lightly said. Those with hearing loss just hear the sound "ni" and are left to figure out the rest. A good replacement word for "nice" would be "good". The "g" and "d" sounds are said on a more audible level.

"House" is another word that is very difficult for those with high-frequency hearing loss to pick up on. This is because many words start with the "h" sound, and it's overly challenging for the listener to hear the "s" sound when the word is pronounced. A great replacement word for "house" is "home". Since the "m" sound is presented in a lower frequency, it's easier for one to discern what word you're saying.

Call Us Today

If you're having trouble hearing certain words, it could be a sign of early hearing loss. It's best to set up an appointment with our hearing care specialists at Beltone Dallas Fort Worth. We'll provide a hearing evaluation and make professional recommendations on the proper hearing treatment for you.