Face Masks Make It Harder to Hear, but Amplification Can Help

Face masks are a critical tool in slowing the spread of COVID-19, but they also make communication more difficult, especially for people with hearing loss. Face masks muffle high-frequency speech sounds and block visual cues. Masks may be especially frustrating for teachers, who will be expected to wear them while teaching in person this fall. Fortunately, not all masks affect sound in the same way, and some masks are better than others. Read this research brief from the team at the Illinois Augmented Listening Laboratory to learn the best types of face masks for sound transmission and whether amplification can help aid in communication.