Fact · Speech recognition
50percent
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines the speech recognition threshold as the minimum hearing level for speech at which a person can recognize 50% of the speech material.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“The speech recognition threshold is the minimum hearing level for speech (see ANSI S3.6-1969 standard or subsequent superseding standards) at which an individual can recognize 50% of the speech material”
Determining Threshold Level for Speech (ASHA Guidelines, 1988), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1988, Speech Threshold Definitions, Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT).
Open the original- What it measures
- The guideline sets out the terms and the clinical procedure for measuring a speech threshold in a hearing test, in which a listener repeats or identifies words presented through headphones at falling levels.
- What it does not show
- This is a definition of the threshold, not a measured result for any person. The guideline dates from 1988, and clinics may use modified word lists or procedures, which must be recorded when reported.