Which of the following is a common method for assessing speech fluency?

Measuring speech rate is a common and effective method for assessing speech fluency because fluency encompasses the smoothness, rhythm, and rate of speech. By analyzing the speed at which an individual speaks, clinicians can gauge whether a person is experiencing disruptions in their speech, such as repetitions, hesitations, or pauses that may indicate stuttering or other fluency disorders. An optimal speech rate contributes to overall fluency, and deviations from a typical rate can provide important diagnostic information.

In contrast, evaluating voice quality primarily focuses on the characteristics of a person's voice, such as pitch, loudness, and resonance, but does not provide direct insight into fluency. Sound discrimination tests are typically used to assess a person's ability to hear and differentiate between similar sounds, which is more relevant to phonemic awareness than to fluency. Language comprehension assessments evaluate how well an individual understands spoken or written language, which is crucial for language processing but does not directly reflect their fluency in speech production. Therefore, among the options provided, measuring speech rate is the most relevant to assessing speech fluency.