Nasometric Values for Normal Nasal Resonance in the Speech of Young Flemish Adults

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to obtain normative nasalance scores for adult subjects speaking the Flemish language. Additional objectives of the study were to determine if speaker sex played a role in differences in nasalance scores and if significantly different nasalance scores existed for Flemish compared with other languages or dialects. Design: Nasalance scores were obtained while young Flemish adults read three standard nasalance passages. These passages were an oronasal passage (a text that contained the same approximate percentage of nasal consonants as found in the standard Dutch speech), an oral passage (a text that excluded nasal consonants), and a nasal passage (a reading text loaded with nasal consonants). Participants: Subjects included 58 healthy young Flemish adults with normal oral and velopharyngeal structure and function, normal hearing levels, normal voice characteristics, and normal resonance and articulation skills. Methods: The Nasometer (model 6200) was used to...