Auditory Word Recognition Ability in Babble Noise and Phonological Development in Children at 3;6 Years of Age

Background noise challenges auditory recognition of speech and may reveal the underlying deficits in word skills. Previous studies have reported an association between children’s skills various linguistic skills, including phonology, although some languages only. However, language-specific features influence these connections. This study describes associations ability phonological a representative group 3;6-year-old children less studied language, Finnish (N = 65). Auditory was assessed using closed-set task presented multi-talker babble (+13 dB) Phonology Test. A significant, moderate correlation found Finnish-speaking The late-developing phoneme /r/ challenged recognition. sibilant /s/ noted to be most resistant consonant, pair /l/ created mutual confusion. accuracy representations moderating factor for both Children with strong recognize spoken words more accurately noisy everyday situations than weaker should taken into consideration daily environments, such as daycare centers preschools.