This hearing age test plays tones at progressively higher frequencies. The highest frequency you can detect gives an estimate of your hearing age. Hearing range naturally narrows with age, especially at high frequencies.
Frequency Hearing Test
How to Use the Hearing Age Test
This hearing age test uses the Web Audio API to generate pure tones at frequencies from 8,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Click each frequency button to play a 2-second tone and indicate whether you can hear it.
How to Test Accurately
Sit in a quiet environment. Use headphones for best results — computer speakers often cannot reproduce frequencies above 15-16 kHz accurately due to driver size. Set your device volume to 50-70% before starting. Work through frequencies from lowest to highest. Stop marking "I can hear it" when you genuinely cannot hear the tone clearly.
Understanding Your Results
If you can hear 20 kHz: typical for people in their teens and early 20s. Hearing up to 17-18 kHz is typical in the late 20s to mid-30s. Hearing up to 14-16 kHz is typical in the late 30s to late 40s. Hearing up to 12 kHz is common in the 50s. Hearing up to 8-10 kHz is typical for 60+ individuals. These are averages — noise exposure history significantly affects individual results.
FAQ
Is this hearing test free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required.
Is this a medical hearing test?
No. This is a rough screening tool based on frequency range, not a clinical audiogram. A proper audiological test (audiogram) measures hearing thresholds across multiple frequencies at calibrated volume levels and requires specialized equipment and audiologist interpretation.
Why can't older people hear high frequencies?
Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) typically starts with loss of high frequencies first, because the hair cells in the cochlea that detect high frequencies are at the base and experience more mechanical stress and cumulative damage over time. Noise exposure accelerates this process.
What is a normal hearing range for adults?
Young healthy adults with no hearing damage can typically hear frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz). By age 30, many people lose perception above 18 kHz. By age 50, high-frequency sensitivity often drops to 14-16 kHz. By age 60+, it may fall to 8-12 kHz.
Why should I wear headphones for this test?
Headphones provide more accurate high-frequency reproduction than laptop or phone speakers, which typically roll off significantly above 15-16 kHz due to small driver size. The test will work with speakers but results are less reliable at very high frequencies.
What affects hearing frequency range?
Age is the primary factor. Noise exposure (concerts, power tools, headphones at high volume) accelerates hearing loss. Genetics, ototoxic medications (certain antibiotics, chemotherapy agents), ear infections, and head trauma also affect hearing. Smoking and cardiovascular disease are associated with higher rates of age-related hearing loss.