Masking consonants . . . and other stories

Abstract

Facemasksmuffle the lowamplitude, high frequency sounds generatedby thepronunciationof consonants, which makes oral communication vulnerable to misunderstanding—especially for people with hearing loss. Masks with clear plastic windows help lip reading at the cost of blocking more of the sound. Disposable surgicalmasks offer thebest acoustic performance. Looselywoven cottonmasks alsoperformwell acoustically but they may not be as effective as surgical masks at blocking respiratory droplets (J Acoust Soc Am doi:10.1121/10.0002279).