Hearing frequency test
A pure tone starts at 1,000 Hz and rises to 20,000 Hz. Press the button at the moment it fades out for you. Headphones and a low volume give the clearest result.
- Curiosity test, headphones
- Free, no sign-up
This is a curiosity test. An audiologist measures hearing properly. Use headphones at a low volume, and raise it only if the tone is hard to hear.
The tone starts at 1,000 Hz and rises to 20,000 Hz.
| Age | About 60 dB | About 70 dB |
|---|
Median extended high-frequency thresholds with circumaural earphones, from Rodríguez Valiente et al., International Journal of Audiology 53 (2014), Table 4. This page’s level depends on your volume slider and headphones.
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How to use it
- Put on headphones and leave the volume low.
- Press Start the rising tone, and press The tone faded out when you lose it.
- Read the frequency, then compare it with the table or play a single frequency.
How to read the result
The tone is a sine wave on a logarithmic rise, so each octave takes the same time. The frequency on screen is the tone you are hearing at that moment. Left and right send it to one ear. The single-frequency buttons hold a steady tone so you can check one pitch on its own. Start quietly: a loud high tone is tiring, and phone speakers often cannot play the top of the range at all.
The table lists median extended high-frequency thresholds from Rodríguez Valiente, Trinidad, García Berrocal, Górriz and Ramírez Camacho, International Journal of Audiology 53 (2014), Table 4, measured with circumaural earphones. Each cell is the highest frequency whose median threshold stays at or below about 60 dB or 70 dB SPL. Your slider and headphones set a different level, so the comparison is a rough guide. For ages 70 to 79 the published median at 8 kHz is already above 70 dB, and the table says under 8,000 Hz.
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Everything runs in this page and stays on your device. The tone is generated in this page. The result stays on the screen until you leave.
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Questions
How does the hearing frequency test work?
It plays a tone that rises slowly from 1,000 Hz toward 20,000 Hz, and you press the button when it fades out for you. Headphones at a low volume give the clearest result. It is a curiosity test, and an audiologist measures hearing properly.
Why do I hear less with the volume down?
A quiet tone disappears sooner. The age table is based on tones around 60 to 70 dB, so raise the slider only a little if the start is hard to hear, and keep it comfortable.
What do the age rows mean?
They are median results from a 2014 study of extended high frequencies, rounded to the nearest 100 Hz. A result inside a row is typical for that age group at those levels. It is a comparison, and a clinic measures hearing for medical decisions.
Can I test one ear, or one frequency?
Yes. Set Ear to Left or Right before you start. The row of buttons plays a steady tone at that frequency until you press Stop.
Why does a phone speaker stop early?
Many phone and laptop speakers roll off well below 20 kHz. Headphones are the way to hear the top of the rise.
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