URDU SPONDEE WORDS; DEVELOPMENT AND CONTENT VALIDATION

Abstract Background: Spondees are disyllabic words with equal stress on both syllables. The words very common and used for speech reception measurement. In many languages, spondee words are important component of speech reception threshold tests. It helps in diagnosing hearing impairment and fitting of hearing aids. Objective: Development and content validation of Urdu spondee words for Adults Urdu speakers. Methodology: Initially 164 spondee words were collected, and familiarity rating was done among 60 Urdu speaking persons by using a Google survey form. Then content validity assessment was done among 9 experts by using three 5-point Likert scales of familiarity, relevance and appropriateness. The words were recorded in sound treated room and pilot testing of remaining words was conducted among 12 normal hearing Urdu speakers to validate the words. Speech spectrogram analysis was done to assess the equal stress on both syllable of spondee words. Results: The words rate less than 70 % familiar were excluded which led to elimination of 30 words. Content validation by 9 experts bring out removal of more 13 words as they could not fulfil the criteria of minimum CVI score 0.78. To validate the remaining words a pilot testing resulted in removal of 14 words with content validity ratio was less than 0.94. Finally acoustic analysis of audio file of remaining words was done to measure the equal stress level on both syllable and average intensity difference between two syllables was 0 to 7.08 dB. Conclusion: A word bank consisting of 107 Urdu spondee words was compiled, with sufficient evidence of content validity based on familiarity, appropriateness, and relevance.