Acceptability Ratings of Normal, Esophageal, and Artificial Larynx Speech

Abstract

To provide information about the ultimate acceptability of various types of alaryngeal speech, 37 listeners rated nine speakers with normal phonation in relation to two groups of superior alaryngeal speakers: five who used esophageal speech and four who used artificial larynges. Normal speech was rated significantly more acceptable than any form of alaryngeal speech studied. Speech produced with a Tokyo artificial larynx was rated significantly more acceptable than all other types of alaryngeal speech. Superior esophageal speech was significantly preferred over Western Electric reed and Bell electrolarynx speech. Listeners also categorized each of the 18 speakers as a normal speaker or not a normal speaker. The nine alaryngeal speakers were all classified as nonnormal, while eight of the nine normal subjects were classified as normal.