Online hearing test

• Test each ear: tones at 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, 6,000 and 8,000 Hz play first in the left ear, then in the right. Each starts very quietly and gets louder in 4 dB steps until you press I hear it! The level you reacted to is your threshold for that frequency on this device. Random pauses between tones stop you from guessing the rhythm.
• Highest frequency you hear: a tone rises from 8 kHz to 20 kHz over 30 seconds. Press the button when it disappears.
• Tone generator: play any frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz in sine, square, sawtooth or triangle wave, in the left, right or both channels.

After the ear test, a chart shows your thresholds: blue × for the left ear and red ○ for the right, like a simplified audiogram. Lower points mean you heard a quieter tone, i.e. better sensitivity at that frequency.

The values are in dBFS, relative to your device's maximum output. They are not the dB HL values on a clinical audiogram, because headphones and sound cards aren't calibrated. That's why the most useful thing to look at is the comparison between your ears: the tool highlights frequencies where they differ by 15 dB or more. A consistent difference is a good reason to see a professional.

Human hearing is often described as covering 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but the upper limit falls with age, a normal process called presbycusis. Long exposure to loud noise speeds it up. The result of the high-frequency test comes with a short note:

Many laptop and phone speakers and Bluetooth codecs cut off above 15–16 kHz, so use wired headphones for this test.

• Use headphones, not speakers, so each ear is tested separately.
• Find the quietest room you can and turn off fans or the TV.
• Set the volume once and don't touch it during the test.
• Turn off sound enhancements, spatial audio and noise cancellation modes that alter the sound.
• Repeat the test another day. Thresholds vary a little from session to session.

The test tones are capped well below full volume to protect your ears.

This is an informal self-check, not a medical hearing exam. See an audiologist or an ENT doctor if you notice difficulty following conversations, a difference between your ears, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), or any sudden hearing loss, which should be checked urgently. Protect your hearing by keeping headphone volume moderate; the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders notes that long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. To check how loud your surroundings are, use the decibel meter.