Development of Persian Monosyllabic and Disyllabic Words for Auditory Test of Adults and Evaluation of Their Face Validity Using Psychometric Function

The utilization of speech materials in audiological assessments has faced challenges due to a lack of standardization and insufficient consideration of acoustic factors. This study aimed to develop a set of psychometrically validated monosyllabic and disyllabic words in Persian for use in auditory tests.

This cross-sectional study involved collecting the most frequently used one- and two-syllable words from Persian dictionaries. A panel of experts evaluated the selected words using a 4-point Likert scale. Based on their recommendations, 382 monosyllabic words and 150 disyllabic words met the established criteria. Male and female talkers recorded these words, which were then presented in a random order to 30 young adults with normal hearing (aged 18–30 years). The presentation intensity levels ranged from 0 to 48 dB HL with 8 dB increments. Logistic regression was used to determine the psychometric properties of the words.

As the intensity level increased, the percentage of word recognition scores also increased, reaching 100% at an intensity level of 48 dB HL. For Persian monosyllabic words, the mean psychometric slope was 0.29 %/dB for male talkers and 0.25 %/dB for female talkers. The corresponding slopes for Persian disyllabic words were 0.23 %/dB and 0.21 %/dB, respectively.

This study successfully developed 382 monosyllabic words and 150 disyllabic words in Persian with comparable psychometric properties. These words can be utilized in auditory tests for Iranian adults.