Hearing Frequency Test

How to take the hearing frequency test

1. Put on headphones or earphones. Laptop and phone speakers often cannot play tones above 15 kHz, which would make the result look worse than your hearing. Find a quiet room.
2. Keep the volume slider low (15% is the default) and tap the 8 k button to check that you hear a tone at a comfortable level. Raise the volume a little only if 8 kHz is very faint.
3. Press Start test. Each tone plays for 2.5 seconds, then rises by 1 kHz. Press I can hear it (or Space) as soon as you hear each one.
4. When a tone is silent for you, wait: it repeats once, and if you still hear nothing the test ends and shows the last tone you heard. You can also press I can't hear it.
5. Test each ear on its own with the Left and Right buttons, and use the 500 Hz step for a finer result.

What your result means

Your result is the highest tone you heard at a low volume. The top of the hearing range falls with age as the hair cells in the inner ear that detect high frequencies wear out, so the table gives a rough idea of what is typical. Loud music, machinery and headphones at high volume speed this up.

A result a few kHz below your age band is not a diagnosis. Headphones that roll off at the top, a noisy room, a low volume and tiredness all lower the number. A big difference between the left and right ear, or a limit far below your age band at a normal volume, is worth mentioning to a doctor or audiologist, who can run a proper audiogram.

Why this is not a medical hearing test

A clinical hearing test (an audiogram) measures the quietest sound you can hear at each frequency, in a soundproof booth, with calibrated headphones. This page cannot know how loud your headphones are, so it measures only whether you can hear a tone at all at the volume you set. It is useful for checking whether your hearing range is in the normal band for your age, comparing your two ears, and testing whether your headphones reproduce high frequencies. For hearing loss, tinnitus or a sudden change in one ear, see a professional. Checks on your equipment are on the headphone test and tone generator pages.

Hearing range and the "mosquito tone"

Human hearing is usually quoted as 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but 20 kHz is only reachable by young ears. Many adults are surprised to stop hearing anything above 15 or 16 kHz: the high tones are simply gone, and because music and speech have little energy up there, nothing in daily life reveals it. The 17 kHz "mosquito" ringtone and shop deterrents rely on this: teenagers hear it, most adults do not. If you want to see where your limit sits step by step, use the 500 Hz step size and test one ear at a time.

Common problems and fixes

I hear nothing, even at 8 kHz

Check the system volume and that the browser is not muted. Tap the 8 k button to hear a test tone. Pure tones above 8 kHz are quiet on small speakers, so use headphones.

The result is lower than expected

Try better headphones: many cheap earphones and Bluetooth speakers roll off above 15 kHz. Test in a quiet room, raise the volume a little (not loud) and try again. A low result on good headphones at normal volume is worth a professional check.

One ear hears less than the other

Swap the earphones between ears and repeat. If the weaker side moves with the earphone, the earphone is at fault. If it stays with the ear, mention it to a doctor.

I hear a click or buzz but no tone

Some earphones and Bluetooth links distort at high frequencies and produce artifacts. Lower the volume. If you only hear a click when each tone starts, the tone itself is above your range.