The hearing test online plays tones across the full audible spectrum — from 20Hz bass up to 20,000Hz — so you can find the edges of what you can actually hear. Put on your headphones, click Play at each frequency button, then press I can hear this or I can't hear this for each one; your hearing range result builds as you go. Your responses map out which frequencies you detect clearly, which sound faint, and where your hearing drops off — a useful personal baseline, though not a substitute for a medical hearing evaluation. Before any call or recording session, a free microphone test verifies your mic is ready.
Click each frequency button. Mark "Heard" if you can hear the tone, "Not Heard" if you can't.
Low Frequencies (Bass)
High Frequencies (Treble)
Detected Range: -- Hz to -- Hz
Complete the test to see your hearing range
Getting accurate results takes less than two minutes. Follow these steps before you start:
Once you have tested all frequencies, the Detected Range display shows the lowest and highest frequencies you were able to hear. Here is how to interpret what you find: An audio latency test shows whether your setup introduces noticeable lag for recording or live use.
The textbook human hearing range is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, but in practice no one hears the full range without decline. What matters is whether your range is appropriate for your age and whether both ears match.
Gradual high-frequency decline with age is entirely normal. A sharp difference between ears — or sudden loss at any age — warrants professional evaluation.
Audiologists classify hearing loss by the softest sound level (in decibels) a person can detect. This online test does not measure decibel thresholds — it only identifies which frequencies you can detect at a fixed volume level. For a full audiogram with dB thresholds, consult a licensed audiologist.
The most common pattern detected by an online hearing test is reduced sensitivity at high frequencies. The usual causes include: Measure what your microphone picks up when you're not talking with a background noise analyzer.
The inner ear's hair cells — which convert sound vibrations into nerve signals — gradually degrade over time. High-frequency hair cells at the base of the cochlea are the first affected. This is the most common cause of high-frequency hearing loss and affects nearly every adult to some degree by age 60.
Exposure to loud sounds — concerts, power tools, headphones at high volume — permanently damages cochlear hair cells. Like age-related loss, it strikes high frequencies first (especially around 4,000 Hz, a characteristic notch seen on professional audiograms). Unlike age-related loss, it can affect people of any age.
Temporary conductive hearing loss — caused by fluid in the middle ear, infections, or earwax blockage — can reduce sensitivity across all frequencies. If your hearing test shows broad, symmetric loss that appeared suddenly, a blocked ear canal or middle ear infection is the likely cause and is often easily treated.
An online hearing test and a clinical audiogram both measure your ability to detect tones at different frequencies, but they differ significantly in precision, environment, and what they can diagnose.
This browser-based hearing test identifies the approximate frequency range you can detect — the lowest and highest tones audible at a fixed volume. It is a useful screening tool for spotting obvious asymmetry between ears, checking whether high-frequency sensitivity has declined since your last test, or confirming that your headphones are performing correctly. Because the test runs at a single volume level rather than measuring decibel thresholds, it cannot produce a clinical audiogram. Think of it as an annual home screen that tells you whether a professional visit is warranted.
Book a professional evaluation if your online hearing test shows: a clear difference between left and right ear results at any frequency; inability to detect frequencies below 6,000 Hz; sudden change in results compared to a previous test taken under the same conditions; or any frequencies in the speech-critical 500 Hz–4,000 Hz range showing reduced sensitivity. An audiologist can perform a calibrated pure-tone audiometry test that maps your hearing thresholds in decibels across the full speech range — information that online testing cannot provide but that is essential for diagnosing hearing loss type and severity.
The reliability of an online hearing test depends heavily on equipment and environment. Small changes in setup can shift your apparent hearing threshold by 10–20 Hz or more.
Over-ear headphones with a good seal give the most accurate results. They block ambient noise physically, allowing even the softest test tones to be heard clearly. In-ear monitors (IEMs) can also work well if the ear tip creates a complete seal. Avoid open-back headphones for testing — they allow room noise to bleed into the signal and suppress perceived low frequencies. Never use laptop or phone speakers: they cannot isolate left and right channels and have a limited frequency response that will make your results appear worse than your actual hearing.
Take the hearing test in the quietest room available and close windows and doors. Even 40 dB of background noise (typical of a quiet office) can mask tones at the threshold of audibility. Set your device volume to 50–60% before starting — the same level each time you test, so results are comparable across sessions. To track your hearing over time, save the frequency range result after each session and note the date and equipment used. Consistent methodology is more valuable than any single result.
No. This is a screening tool, not a clinical audiological examination. A professional audiogram uses calibrated equipment in a sound-treated booth and measures your hearing threshold in decibels at each frequency — information this browser test cannot provide. If the results concern you, or if you notice a significant left/right difference, see a licensed audiologist for a full evaluation.
Headphones allow the test to play each frequency to one ear at a time and block out background noise that would otherwise mask the softest test tones. Laptop speakers and phone speakers mix both channels together and pick up room echo, making left/right comparison impossible and low-frequency results unreliable.
Not hearing frequencies above 14,000–16,000 Hz is common in adults over 30 and is usually normal age-related decline. If you cannot hear above 10,000 Hz, or if you notice a significant difference between your left and right ear, consult an audiologist. Loss of speech-range frequencies (500 Hz–4 kHz) is more clinically significant and warrants prompt evaluation.
An audiogram is a chart produced by a clinical hearing test showing the softest sound (in decibels, dBHL) you can detect at each tested frequency. It maps your hearing thresholds across the speech-critical range (250 Hz–8,000 Hz). This online hearing test produces a simplified version — a frequency range display — rather than a full audiogram with dB measurements.
Online hearing tests are approximate screening tools. Accuracy depends heavily on your headphones, your room noise level, and volume calibration. Studies suggest consumer-grade online tests can estimate hearing thresholds within roughly 10–15 dB of clinical measurements under good conditions. They are best used to track changes over time and to flag potential problems — not to diagnose hearing loss.
Most headphones and earbuds cannot reproduce frequencies below 40–50 Hz accurately due to the physical size of their drivers. Even if your hearing is perfect at those frequencies, your headphones may not be able to generate the sound. If you want to test bass-range response, use a full-size over-ear headphone or a dedicated subwoofer test with the bass test tool.
A consistent difference between ears — where one ear clearly hears higher frequencies than the other — is called asymmetric hearing loss and warrants professional evaluation. It can indicate wax buildup on one side, a middle ear problem, or (rarely) more serious conditions. Use our audio latency test to rule out equipment-side issues before concluding the difference is in your hearing.
This test is for entertainment only. If you have hearing concerns, please see an audiologist for a professional evaluation.
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