###### Abstract  
Speech-in-noise tests are used to assess the ability of the human auditory system to perceive speech in a noisy environment. Early diagnosis of hearing deficits helps health professionals to plan for the most appropriate management. However, hospitals and auditory clinics have a shortage of reliable Arabic versions of speech-in-noise tests. Additionally, access to specialized healthcare facilities is associated with socioeconomic status. Hence, individuals with compromised socioeconomic status do not have proper access to healthcare. Thus, In the current study, a mobile and cost-effective Arabic speech-in-noise test was developed and tested on 30 normal-hearing subjects, and their ability to perceive words-in-noise was evaluated. Moreover, a comparison between two different background noises was explored (multi-talker babble noise and white noise). The results revealed a significant difference in the thresholds between the two types of background noises. The percent-correct scores ranged from 100% to 54.17% for the white background noise and 91.57% to 50% for the multi-talker babble background noise. The proposed Arabic word-in-noise screening tool has the potential to be used effectively to screen for deteriorated speech perception abilities, particularly in low-resource settings. word in noise; speech in noise; hearing; healthcare accessibility; rural; out of clinic; hearing impairment; diagnostic tool; cost-effective; Arabic +
Footnote †: journal: Medical  
that determines the person's hearing ability by listening to tones at different frequencies. Another common clinical hearing test is the auditory brainstem responses test, in which the integrity of the neural pathway is investigated by measuring the electrophysiological responses to an acoustic stimulus delivered either monaurally or binaurally [8; 9]. However, administering the most widely available hearing tests often requires costly audiometric booths to reduce the background noise [10]. Additionally, both of the aforementioned hearing tests lack important diagnostic features, such as the capability to identify the person's ability to comprehend complex stimuli as speech perception, which is a critical aspect of the patient's everyday life situations [11]. Perceiving speech with background noise can be challenging, even for people with normal hearing. Speech perception is not only the recognition of sound segments but also the ability of the listener to detect and interpret signals. Therefore, speech perception is defined as the act of labeling acoustic signals with appropriate linguistic symbols [12]. Several conditions are associated with speech perception difficulties, such as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) [13]. Patients with CAPD face difficulties in comprehending spoken language in an environment with competing background noise. Children with CAPD frequently ask for repetitions, frequently saying \"what?\" or \"huh?\" [13]. Moreover, individuals with dyslexia may encounter difficulties in perceiving speech in noisy environments [14]. Furthermore, autism spectrum disorder is associated with speech perception difficulties and auditory processing deficits [15]. Speech perception tests are commonly used to screen for such disorders in various languages. Compared to standard hearing tests, speech-in-noise tests have advantages such as an inexpensive setup and the ability to efficiently administer the test outside the sound booth [16]. Clinically validated speech-in-noise tests vary based on the linguistics of the stimulus of interest, the specific type of background noise in which the speech is embedded, scoring methods, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) presentation level [17]. One of the most common tests is the quick-speech-in-noise test (QuickSIN) [18]. The QuickSIN test estimates speech-in-noise performance by presenting short sentences with the presence of four-talker babbling in the background [18]. The test contains 12 lists that have six sentences in each list.