Final answer:
Hearing aids primarily amplify sounds rather than making them more distinct. They can help with volume but not always with clarity, particularly if the hearing loss affects the perception of crucial speech frequencies. Therefore, the statement is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is false that hearing aids make sounds more distinct and clear. Instead, most hearing aids work by amplifying sounds, making them louder but not necessarily more distinct. This is important because understanding speech depends on the ability to perceive the full range of frequencies, not just the increased volume. Frequency refers to the number of sound waves per unit of time and is more associated with the pitch than the loudness of the sound. Higher frequencies allow for the clarity of sounds, such as in speech, where consonant sounds which give words their distinct shape, are found in the higher frequency range.
Hearing aids can be especially useful for someone with a hearing loss that affects their ability to hear distinct frequencies necessary for understanding speech. For example, a person with a 60-phon loss might only hear lower frequencies clearly, making speech sound indistinct and muffled. Therefore, while hearing aids make sounds louder, they might not always make them more distinct if the hearing loss impacts the perception of those necessary frequencies.