Purpose: This study aims to analyze the error rates and types of Korean monosyllabic word perception according to hearing level, providing detailed insight into phoneme-specific error patterns among elderly individuals with varying degrees of hearing loss. Methods: Seventy-two elderly participants were assigned to four hearing groups: normal hearing, mild, moderate, and severe hearing loss. Each completed a monosyllabic word discrimination task using 726 Korean monosyllabic stimuli, presented at their most comfortable listening level. Error rates were calculated for onset consonant, vowel, and coda positions, and errors were classified by segmental pattern (substitution, addition, omission, compound). Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc tests for group differences. Results: Total error rates increased according to hearing loss severity, from 18.3% in normal listeners to 80.4% in severe loss. Initial consonant errors were notably high, with severe-impaired participants showing over 80% errors in high-frequency onset consonants. Substitution errors predominated in all groups but decreased as hearing loss worsened; omission and compound errors correspondingly increased, especially in severe cases. Compound segmental errors became more common as hearing deteriorated, signifying much global breakdowns in word perception. Conclusion: Age-related hearing loss leads to a marked shift from single-segment errors toward frequent multisegment and compound errors in monosyllabic word perception. These findings highlight the need for detailed error analysis in clinical speech tests and endorse individualized rehabilitation approaches tailored for older adults’ auditory-perceptual profiles.
Joo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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