Hearing Frequency Test
Headphones on, volume low. Find the highest tone you can still hear.
Put on headphones and turn your device volume down before you start.
Left
Upper limit:
Lower limit:
Right
Upper limit:
Lower limit:
Highest test tone:
Ready.
Every test runs inside your browser. Nothing you type, say, show or press is uploaded.
How to use this test
The hearing frequency test plays pure tones through your headphones, one ear at a time, and finds the highest and lowest pitches you can hear. High-frequency hearing fades gradually with age. The highest tone you can hear gives a rough idea of your hearing range compared with typical results for your age.
Use wired headphones if you have them, and set the volume low before you start. Choose an ear, start the high sweep and press I can't hear it as soon as the tone disappears. Do the same with the low sweep, then switch ears. Use the fixed tones and I can hear it to double-check the top of your range.
What the results mean
Your result is where the tone faded out at the top and bottom of your range, for each ear. Equipment matters: some Bluetooth headphones cut off high tones on their own, in tests anywhere from about 14 to 19 kHz, and this test stops at 20 kHz, or lower if your browser's audio can't reach it. Try wired headphones before drawing conclusions. A large difference between your two ears is worth mentioning to a doctor.
Hearing range by age
High-frequency hearing declines from early adulthood. In a 2021 clinical study, everyone aged 21 to 30 heard a 16 kHz tone and about three in four heard 18 kHz. Among those aged 41 to 50, about four in five heard 14 kHz but only about two in five heard 16 kHz. Among those aged 61 to 70, fewer than half heard 14 kHz. Those tones were played loud on calibrated equipment, so a quiet test through ordinary headphones usually reads lower.
Keep the volume low
High tones can seem faint and then suddenly loud as the sweep moves. Start low, raise the volume only a little at a time, and stop if a tone is uncomfortable. This test works at low volume; you never need it loud.
Common questions
Can this test diagnose hearing loss?
No. Your headphones, their volume and the room all change the result, and the test only checks which tones you hear, not how quietly you can hear them. An audiologist uses calibrated equipment for that.
Why can't I hear tones above 15 kHz?
It's common in adults, and it can also be your equipment. Many speakers and Bluetooth headphones don't reproduce the highest tones well. Try wired headphones before assuming it's your hearing.
What is the mosquito tone?
A very high tone, usually around 17 kHz, that many teenagers can hear and many adults can't. Play it with the fixed tone buttons, after turning the volume down.