Introduction:
The pitch pattern test (PPT) is a test of temporal ordering in which a subject needs to correctly repeat a sequence of three auditory stimuli comprised of high and low frequencies. Traditionally, tones are used, but here the aim was to develop a PPT using vowels. The tests were done in young adults and a comparison was made between the two methods.

Material and methods:
The study involved 40 young adults with normal hearing sensitivity and was done in two phases. Phase I involved the development of a PPT using the vowel /a/, and in Phase II the test was administered. A comparison was made with the PPT based on tones. In both tests, stimuli were delivered monaurally.

Results:
All participants were able to do the PPT using either vowels or tones. No ear or gender effects were observed. However, the mean scores for PPT using tones were notably better than those obtained using vowels.

Conclusions:
The present study has developed a PPT using the vowel /a/ and has compared scores with the tonal pitch pattern test. The absence of a ceiling effect in the PPT using a vowel gives it an advantage in terms of potential clinical utility. The strong positive correlation between the PPT using a vowel and the PPT using a tone shows a significant relationship between the two tests in the specific domain of temporal ordering.