title: Speech audiometry in Estonia: Estonian words in noise (EWIN) test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently, there is no up-to-date speech perception test available in the Estonian language that may be used to diagnose hearing loss and quantify speech intelligibility. Therefore, based on the example of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Audiologie (NVA)-lists ( Bosman, 1989 ; Wouters et al, 1994 ) an Estonian words in noise (EWIN) test has been developed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two experimental steps were carried out: (1) selection and perceptual optimization of the monosyllables, and (2) construction of 14 lists and an evaluation in normal hearing (NH) subjects both in noise and in quiet.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six normal-hearing (NH) native speakers of Estonia (age range from 17 to 46 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reference psychometric curve for NH subjects was determined, with the slope and speech reception threshold being well in accordance with the respective values of the NVA lists. The 14 lists in noise yielded equivalent scores with high precision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EWIN test is a reliable and valid speech intelligibility test, and is the first of its kind in the Estonian language.
authors: * Parenting and Special Education Research Unit , KU Leuven, Leuven , Belgium.
authors: Anneli
authors: A
authors: Veispak
authors: Sofie
authors: S
authors: Jansen
authors: Pol
authors: P
authors: Ghesquière
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Wouters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001302:Audiometry, Speech / Q000379:methods*; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests / Q000379:methods*; D013067:Speech Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Speech intelligibility; words in noise test