FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Purchasing & Licensing

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Volume discounts are available on request. Please contact us for details.

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Home user license

This license allows you to use the software for personal use only. It should not be used for commercial, clinical or educational purposes. The distribution of materials created using the software including images, video and audio is not permitted for commercial, clinical or educational purposes.

Commercial license

This allows you to use the software for commercial, clinical and educational purposes. The distribution of materials created using the software including images, video and audio is permitted for commercial, clinical and educational purposes.

The software license agreement is included in the product help file. An online version of it can be found here.

The software is licensed per computer. A single license will allow you to install the software on one computer only.

Only if a multi-user license is purchased.

Please contact us quoting your order number, or license key, and we will reset your license. The maximum number of resets per license is five (5).

Please contact us quoting your name and order number.

No. There is a one-off payment and the license is permanent.

All updates are free of charge.

Individual licensees get free unlimited email support.

Nasometry

Yes. The Nasality Microphone is widely used with children, including in school-based programmes and university clinic settings. The lightweight acoustic separator is designed to comfortably fit different facial contours. The NasalanceViewer software includes gamified displays — including a Skywriter game — that work well when taking nasalance measurements from younger speakers. The device has been used in peer-reviewed research with paediatric populations across multiple countries.

Both instruments measure nasalance using an acoustic separator positioned above the upper lip. The primary differences are portability, cost, and ease of use.

The Nasality Microphone is a handheld, USB-powered device that connects to any Windows laptop or tablet and is significantly more affordable than the PENTAX Nasometer. The Nasality Microphone requires no calibration, since the nasal and oral microphones are individually matched during the manufacturing process.

The Nasality Microphone is handheld rather than head-mounted, which many users find more comfortable and practical, particularly when working with children. Disposable foam windshields protect the microphone elements and prevent cross contamination between speakers. Its portable design makes it well suited to home visits, fieldwork, and university programmes where budget and portability matter.

The Nasality Microphone has been used as a validated comparator in peer-reviewed research.

The acoustic separator is positioned above the upper lip and does not enter the mouth or nasal passage. Disposable foam windshields are available as replacement accessories and are recommended for use between different speakers to protect the microphone elements. The acoustic separator and housing can be wiped with standard surface disinfectants. Please contact us for specific hygiene guidance relevant to your setting.

Normative nasalance scores vary by language, speaker age, and the passage stimuli used during measurement. Published research using the Nasality Microphone provides population-specific normative values. For example, Peris-Hernández, Rosell-Clari and Kummer (2024) established normative nasalance values for Spanish-speaking children aged 3 to 5 years using the Nasality Microphone, reporting high internal consistency across vowels, syllables, and phrases.

Yes. The Nasality Microphone has been used in peer-reviewed research published in international journals, including studies measuring nasalance in cleft palate and hypernasal populations, and studies in which the Nasality Microphone was used as a comparator instrument when validating novel nasometry systems. When citing the device in publications, please reference it as: Nasality Microphone, icSpeech, a division of Rose Medical Solutions Ltd., Canterbury, UK. A list of publications featuring icSpeech technology is available on the publications page.

The Nasality Microphone uses a fixed band pass filter with a centre frequency of 500Hz and a frequency range of 350–650Hz to isolate the frequency range that best reflects nasal resonance and to minimise interference from irrelevant acoustic information. Using a fixed band pass filter ensures that nasalance scores remain consistent across different sessions, subjects, and nasometry devices. The nasal and oral microphones are also individually matched during manufacturing for both sensitivity and frequency response, further ensuring measurement accuracy.

NasalanceViewer, NasalanceViewer 3D, and icSpeech Professional Edition currently support Windows 10 and Windows 11 only. The Nasality Microphone hardware uses standard USB audio and is not platform-restricted, but the software requires Windows. Users working in Mac environments may wish to run Windows via Boot Camp or a virtual machine. Please contact us to discuss your setup — we are happy to advise on the best approach for your environment.

The Nasality Microphone connects to a local Windows computer and captures nasalance data locally. A speech professional or trained assistant can operate the device with the speaker present, while a remote supervisor observes via video call. Nasalance data and recordings can be exported and shared with a remote colleague for review. Direct real-time streaming of nasalance data over a video connection is not a standard configuration. Contact us to discuss remote working workflows.

Yes. icSpeech supplies universities, NHS trusts, and research institutions across the UK and internationally. We provide formal quotations suitable for institutional procurement processes, grant applications, and NHS purchasing frameworks. Please use the Get Quote form and indicate your institution type — we will respond promptly with appropriate pricing and documentation.

Anemometry

Aerodynamic nasalance is the percentage of the total airflow that is nasal during speech. It is calculated from simultaneous nasal and oral airflow signals recorded by the SNORS mask, and provides an objective measure of velopharyngeal closure. Aerodynamic nasalance can be calculated for both voiced and unvoiced sounds.

The term follows the convention established by Fletcher (1970), who coined "nasalance" to describe the ratio of nasal to total acoustic energy during speech — aerodynamic nasalance applies the same ratio principle to airflow rather than acoustic energy.
Because aerodynamic nasalance is derived from airflow sensors, it is not affected by resonant frequencies — unlike acoustic nasalance, which is influenced by the resonant properties of the vocal tract. It is also not affected by acoustic crossover between the nasal and oral chambers, or by background noise — making SNORS robust in a wide range of clinical and research settings. Additionally, aerodynamic nasalance can be calculated for both voiced and unvoiced sounds, whereas acoustic nasalance is limited to voiced sounds only. Aerodynamic nasalance also approaches zero when velopharyngeal closure is maintained, regardless of nasal cavity resonance or vowel context — see below for a fuller explanation.
Acoustic nasalance measures the ratio of nasal to total acoustic energy. Even with effective velopharyngeal closure, nasal cavity resonance can generate a measurable nasal acoustic signal. This occurs because intense oral airflow can cause the velum to flex under high intra-oral pressure, acoustically coupling energy into the nasal cavity — an effect particularly associated with vowels produced at high intra-oral pressure. Acoustic nasalance values also vary with vowel context due to differences in vocal tract resonance between vowel sounds. In these situations, a non-zero acoustic nasalance score does not necessarily indicate incomplete velopharyngeal closure. Aerodynamic nasalance is not subject to these effects — when no nasal airflow is present, aerodynamic nasalance approaches zero regardless of nasal cavity resonance or vowel context (Sharp, 2000).
SNORS and the Nasality Microphone measure different but complementary aspects of speech. The Nasality Microphone measures acoustic nasalance — the ratio of nasal to total acoustic energy — which relates to the perceived nasality of speech. SNORS measures aerodynamic nasalance — the ratio of nasal to total airflow — which provides a measure of effective velopharyngeal closure. Both measures are useful and complementary. Used together, they provide a more complete picture of velopharyngeal function than either instrument alone.

Although SNORS also records acoustic signals via microphones in both chambers of the mask, the acoustic nasalance is less accurate than that measured by the Nasality Microphone. This is due to the limited acoustic separation achievable within the mask.
Yes. SNORS measures nasal and oral airflow simultaneously, making it well suited for obtaining objective airflow data in speakers with nasal emission. The ratio of nasal to total airflow — aerodynamic nasalance — provides a quantitative measure of the degree of nasal emission during speech, enabling objective comparison of airflow data across different speech tasks and over time.
Yes. SNORS is used by speech and language professionals and researchers to obtain objective nasal-oral airflow measurements in speakers with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Aerodynamic nasalance provides a quantitative measure of velopharyngeal closure, and SNORS supports both real-time measurement and off-line analysis of recorded speech samples.
Pressure-flow systems such as the Aerophone measure both intraoral air pressure and nasal airflow, allowing calculation of velopharyngeal orifice area. SNORS measures nasal and oral airflow simultaneously without intraoral pressure measurement, calculating aerodynamic nasalance as the ratio of nasal to total airflow. SNORS does not calculate velopharyngeal orifice area. However its portable, USB-powered design and significantly lower cost make it accessible in settings where laboratory pressure-flow systems are not practical. SNORS and pressure-flow systems are complementary instruments addressing different aspects of aerodynamic assessment.
Yes. SNORS has been used in peer-reviewed research and published studies investigating velopharyngeal function, nasal-oral airflow, and hypernasality. The instrument is described in peer-reviewed literature, including Sharp, Kelly, Main and Manley (1999), Medical Engineering & Physics, 21(9), 661–671. When citing SNORS in publications, please reference it as:

SNORS, icSpeech, a division of Rose Medical Solutions Ltd., Canterbury, UK.

A list of publications featuring icSpeech technology is available on the icSpeech publications page.
Yes. Normative aerodynamic nasalance data for 40 normal-speaking English-speaking adult subjects using the standard SNORS word list is presented in Sharp, P. (2000), Development of a Multiparameter Speech Analysis System, PhD thesis, University of Kent. Mean aerodynamic nasalance for purely oral words (type, fight, seat, cheese, shoot) lies between 6.5% and 13.5%, while words with a nasal element (begin, smoke, king, missing, end) range from 21.8% to 52.4%. Please contact us for further guidance on interpreting aerodynamic nasalance values in specific populations and languages.
No. SNORS does not require calibration. However, on first use, the software will guide you through a simple airflow offset removal procedure.
Yes. SNORS masks are available in both adult and child sizes, suitable for children aged 4 and above. The child mask is available in a range of colours. The soft silicone cuff and lightweight mask design make it comfortable for use with younger speakers. SNORS 3D provides an engaging 3D animated display that is particularly effective when working with paediatric speakers.
The SNORS mask is easy to dismantle and clean. The reusable soft silicone cuff can be sterilised in an autoclave at temperatures up to 134°C (±3°C). The flexible nylon casing and sensor housing can be thoroughly cleaned with disposable disinfection wipes. Replacement silicone cuffs are available to order. Please contact us for specific hygiene guidance relevant to your setting.
SNORS 3D and icSpeech Professional Edition currently support Windows 10 and Windows 11 only. The SNORS hardware uses standard USB and is not platform-restricted, but the software requires Windows. Users working in Mac environments may wish to run Windows via Boot Camp or a virtual machine. Please contact us to discuss your setup.
SNORS is compatible with two software options. SNORS 3D provides real-time visual feedback of velopharyngeal closure and aerodynamic nasalance using an animated 3D model of the vocal tract, and is well suited to clinical and research settings. icSpeech Professional Edition is a comprehensive multiparameter speech visualisation and analysis package providing 17 aerodynamic and acoustic parameters, six biofeedback games, and extensive analysis and data export features. Both packages support Windows 10 and 11.
Yes. icSpeech supplies universities, hospitals, and research institutions globally. We provide formal quotations suitable for institutional procurement processes and grant applications. Please use the Get quote form and indicate your institution type. We will respond promptly with appropriate pricing and documentation.
The SNORS auxiliary channel accepts analogue signals with a voltage range of ±2.5V from external devices, allowing simultaneous recording alongside nasal and oral airflow data. Devices connected via the auxiliary channel have included electromyography (EMG) systems — see Dominguez and Kelly (2002), Speech Rehabilitation Assessment using the SNORS+ System incorporating EMG: Phonetic Analysis, 3er Congreso Internacional sobre Investigacion en Ingenieria Electrica y Electronica, Mexico. Please contact us to discuss your multiparameter recording requirements.
Yes. SNORS is available worldwide. icSpeech ships directly to customers in many countries, and SNORS is also available through a network of regional distributors. Please contact us to find your nearest distributor or to arrange direct purchase.