The aim of the research was to compare voice and speech in three groups of alaryngeal speakers: 1) patients using esophageal speech, 2) patients with electro-acoustical speech aids and 3) patients with voice prostheses. Acoustic analysis and pronunciation tests were used for the analysis. Acoustic analysis included fundamental frequency, maximum phonation time, jitter, shimmer and intensity. Pronunciation parameters were: phonetic block duration, number of syllables in a phonetic block, rate of speech, maximum number of syllables in a phonetic block and rate of articulation in a maximal phonetic block. Our results demonstrated the advantages of tracheoesophageal puncture with implantation of a voice prosthesis over the other two techniques of alaryngeal speech. Voice and pronunciation with voice prostheses were closer to normal in many parameters: fundamental frequency, maximum phonation time, jitter, shimmer, duration of a phonetic block, number of syllables in a phonetic block, rate of speech and rate of articulation in maximal phonetic block.

The aim of the investigation is to compare voice and speech quality in alaryngeal patients using esophageal speech (ESOP, eight subjects), electroacoustical speech aid (EACA, six subjects) and tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis (TEVP, three subjects). The subjects reading a short story were recorded in the sound-proof booth and the speech samples were acoustically analysed. Speech sound production was judged by 15 students of phonetics. The following variables were considered: (1) voice quality: fo, jitter, shimmer and harmonic-to-noise ratio, (2) speech sound production: number of recognized VCV syllables, and (3) temporal organization of speech: duration of the phonetic block, number of syllables in the phonetic block, rate of speech, rate of articulation and number of syllables in the longest phonetic block. The results showed that nearly normal air-stream source (lungs) in speech production of speakers with tracheoesophageal prosthesis significantly contributed to the speech timing and speech intelligibility of the alaryngeal speakers.