Nasometry Values for Bilingual English-Spanish–Speaking Adults in the United States: A Cross-linguistic Analysis of Nasalance Values

The nasometer is often used as part of a comprehensive speech and resonance assessment to confirm perceptual findings. Differences in nasometry values have been reported across languages and dialects. No study has explored nasometry values for similar stimuli across bilingual English-Spanish speakers. The purpose of this study was to explore nasometry values in bilingual English-Spanish speakers. Fifty bilingual English-Spanish–speaking adults were included in this study. Nasometry values were obtained from isolated sounds and syllable repetition in both English and Spanish. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare nasalance values in English and Spanish from isolated sounds, syllables, and phrases. No statistically significant differences were noted between the participants’ productions of isolated sounds and phrases across English and Spanish. Statistically significant differences were noted on “pa” (/pɑ/ and /pa/), “ka” (/kɑ/and /ka), and /ki/; however, no other syllable productions demonstrated statistically significant differences. Nasalance values differed across phonemically similar stimuli in English and Spanish in bilingual adults. Speech-language pathologists must be cognizant of how their patients’ language(s) and/or dialect(s) may influence nasometry values.