Word Recognition Score
Also written as: WRS — Word Recognition Score
The percentage of monosyllabic words correctly identified by a patient at a suprathreshold presentation level, reflecting the clarity rather than the sensitivity of hearing.
Full Definition
The Word Recognition Score (WRS), also historically called the Speech Discrimination Score (SDS), quantifies how well a patient understands speech once it is made audible, distinct from the question of how loud it needs to be. It is expressed as a percentage (0–100%) and is used diagnostically to differentiate cochlear from retrocochlear pathology: unusually poor WRS relative to threshold may indicate retrocochlear involvement. Editors must not confuse WRS with the Speech Recognition Threshold; the former is a suprathreshold percentage score, the latter a threshold in dB. The older term 'speech discrimination score' remains in widespread use and may need to be standardized within a document.
Usage
Usage note: Standardize to 'word recognition score' in contemporary documents; flag 'speech discrimination score' as a deprecated synonym. Ensure scores are expressed as percentages, not raw numbers.
In Context
- "A word recognition score of 48% in the right ear raised suspicion of retrocochlear pathology." — Diagnostic audiology report
- "The manuscript used 'speech discrimination score' and 'word recognition score' interchangeably; the editor standardized to WRS throughout." — Journal manuscript editing