Correlational Analysis of Speech Intelligibility Tests and Metrics for Speech Transmission

Analysis of the common methods of evaluating the quality and limitations of speech could serve as a resource for users of standard speech intelligibility measurement methods.

Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

Speech is a form of language (communication code) that uses vocally produced sounds to convey thoughts, meanings, and feelings. To communicate by speech, speech sounds must be both produced and perceived. Speech production refers to the process by which predetermined vocalized sounds are produced by the talker and organized in sequences forming communication signals. Speech perception is the process by which the listener is able to hear and interpret (understand) the message encoded in the speech signals.

The effective design and use of audio communication systems requires some knowledge of the physical properties of speech and the rules that govern the human perception of speech. The two main physical descriptors of speech signal are its sound intensity and spectral content.