Online hearing test: how high can you hear?
Step up from 250 Hz to 20 kHz, one ear at a time, and find your upper limit. It takes about two minutes with headphones.
Use headphones. Set your device volume so a 1 kHz tone is clearly audible but comfortable, then don’t change it. Each step plays a soft beeping tone; answer honestly.
A screening toy, not a diagnosis: browser audio isn’t calibrated, and many laptop and phone speakers can’t play above about 16 kHz. For a real audiogram, see an audiologist or use the NIOSH or WHO hearWHO app.
What your result means
High frequencies are the first to go. The hair cells that detect them sit at the entrance of the cochlea, where every sound passes over them, so they wear out first from age and noise. That’s why upper-limit tests are such a sensitive (if rough) gauge of hearing age.
A left/right difference of more than a step or two is worth noticing, especially if it’s new. The NHS and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association both advise a professional check for one-sided hearing changes or persistent ringing.
Want a precise frequency?
The tone generator plays any frequency to 20 kHz and has a sweep with an “I lost it” button for pinning down your exact limit.
Typical upper limit by age
| Age | Highest frequency usually heard |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | 17–20 kHz |
| 20–30 | 16–17 kHz |
| 30–40 | 15–16 kHz |
| 40–50 | 12–15 kHz |
| 50–60 | 10–12 kHz |
| 60+ | often below 10 kHz |
Rough guide with wide individual variation; exposure to loud noise lowers it at any age.
Questions people ask
What frequency range can humans hear?
Roughly 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz in young people. The top end falls steadily with age (presbycusis), so most adults over 40 hear little above 14–15 kHz.
What is the mosquito tone?
A tone around 17.4 kHz that many teenagers can hear but most adults can’t. It was used in the “Mosquito” anti-loitering device in the UK in the 2000s.
Is an online hearing test accurate?
Only roughly. Browsers and headphones aren’t calibrated, so it can’t measure hearing thresholds in decibels. It can show your upper frequency limit and flag big left/right differences worth checking.
Why can’t I hear the high tones?
Age is the usual reason, but noise exposure, ear wax and your equipment all play a part. Many small speakers stop around 16 kHz, and some Bluetooth codecs cut off high frequencies.
When should I get a professional hearing test?
If one ear hears much less than the other, if you have ringing (tinnitus), if speech sounds muffled, or after any sudden change in hearing: sudden hearing loss is treated as urgent.