Unintelligible speech

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Unintelligible speech" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe speech that is difficult or impossible to understand, often due to unclear articulation or background noise. Example: "The recording was filled with unintelligible speech, making it hard to decipher the main points of the conversation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

These fronto-temporal-parietal areas also showed greater functional connectivity during intelligible, compared with unintelligible, speech.

Stanford University

Consistent with previous univariate findings, intelligible speech elicited greater activity in bilateral superior temporal cortex relative to unintelligible speech.

Stanford University

However, MVPA identified a more extensive network that discriminated between intelligible and unintelligible speech, including left-hemisphere middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus, inferior temporal cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis.

Stanford University

There are several examples of fast unintelligible speech (in the case of common and short words such as "to," "the," "for," and "and" plus other short words) and unnaturally long or emphasized/hyper-articulated words particularly in lecture speech.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Technology continues to evolve; last night, I found out about an app at Indiegogo, Talkitt, that translates unintelligible speech into understandable speech.

Huffington Post

Diagnoses of ADHD, autism, coordination disorder, developmental delays, unintelligible speech, learning difficulties, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders are associated with technology overuse, and are increasing at an alarming rate.

HuffPost

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

"How would Costner and Cameron direct Obama?" According to Chris Matthews, Cameron would have Obama be a blue cat person giving unintelligible speeches to other blue cat people.

Huffington Post

Left anterolateral STC, in particular the anterior superior temporal sulcus, responds preferentially to intelligible speech in comparison to unintelligible speech-like stimuli (Scott et al., 2000; Crinion et al., 2003; Spitsyna et al., 2006).

Brain

It may be that this region of the left posterior STS engages in acoustic phonetic processing that supports the resolution of intelligible percepts, explaining its elevated response to the unintelligible rotated speech condition as well as to the intelligible stimuli.

Cerebral Cortex

Lecture speech is more spontaneous and contains a lot of filled pauses, dis-fluencies, fast spoken (at times unintelligible words), and also emphasized words.  .

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Lecture speech is more spontaneous and contains a lot of filled pauses, dis-fluencies, fast spoken (at times unintelligible words), and also emphasized words.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing medical conditions, use "unintelligible speech" to precisely indicate a difficulty in being understood, differentiating it from other speech impairments like stuttering.

Common error

Avoid using "unintelligible speech" interchangeably with terms like "stuttering" or "lisp". "Unintelligible speech" describes a complete lack of clarity, while the other terms denote specific speech patterns or difficulties.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "Unintelligible speech" functions as a descriptive term, combining the adjective "unintelligible" to modify the noun "speech." As Ludwig AI confirms, this describes speech that cannot be understood.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "Unintelligible speech" is a grammatically correct and relatively uncommon phrase used to describe speech that cannot be understood. Ludwig AI confirms its validity for use. Its usage spans various domains, including science and news media, with a neutral register suitable for broad audiences. Alternative phrases like "incomprehensible speech" or "garbled speech" can be used depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. When using the term, be precise in its application, differentiating it from other speech impediments. The frequency is 'Uncommon', with most of the usage from Science and News & Media categories.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Incomprehensible speech

Replaces "unintelligible" with a synonym that also suggests a lack of understanding.

Garbled speech

Focuses on the distorted quality of the speech, making it hard to understand.

Mumbled speech

Emphasizes the lack of clarity due to low volume or poor articulation.

Slurred speech

Indicates a lack of distinctness in pronunciation, often associated with medical conditions or intoxication.

Incoherent speech

Highlights the lack of logical connection or clarity in the content of the speech.

Indistinct speech

Focuses on the lack of clear separation between individual sounds or words.

Confused speech

Highlights the lack of mental clarity in the speech.

Obscured speech

Indicates that the speech is hidden or masked by something else.

Unclear speech

Offers a more general way to describe speech that is difficult to understand.

Inarticulate speech

Emphasizes a lack of skill or clarity in expressing oneself verbally.

FAQs

What causes speech to become unintelligible?

Unintelligible speech can result from several factors including neurological conditions, developmental disorders, physical impairments affecting the vocal cords or mouth, or even extreme emotional states.

How is unintelligible speech different from slurred speech?

While both involve difficulties in speaking clearly, "slurred speech" typically indicates a lack of precision in articulation, often due to intoxication or neurological issues. Unintelligible speech means the speech is impossible to understand, regardless of articulation precision.

What are some technology-based solutions for individuals with unintelligible speech?

Apps like Talkitt are designed to translate unintelligible vocalizations into understandable speech, offering a communication aid for those with severe speech impairments.

Is unintelligible speech always a sign of a medical condition?

While it can be a symptom of various medical or developmental conditions, unintelligible speech can also occur due to temporary factors like strong accents unfamiliar to the listener, or intentionally obscured communication (such as jargon or code).