Speaking fundamental frequency, intensity, and rate of adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adult women.

No objective group data on speaking fundamental frequency (F0), intensity, or rate have been reported on the speech of adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adult women. Results of the present study showed that F0 was significantly higher, intensity significantly greater, and speaking rate significantly slower for 12 adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adult women than for 20 normal-hearing control subjects of the same sex and approximate age. Based on these objective data, aural rehabilitation is recommended for the improvement and monitoring of speaking F0, intensity, and rate abnormalities in the adventitiously profoundly hearing impaired.