The audiologist will say words to you through headphones, and you will repeat the words. The audiologist will record the softest speech you can repeat. You may also need to repeat words that you hear at a louder level. This is done to test word recognition. Speech testing may happen in a quiet or noisy place. People who have hearing loss often say that they have the most trouble hearing in noisy places. So, it is helpful to test how well you hear in noise.