How it works
To test your hearing range, the basic idea is simple: play a tone and see if you can hear it. Start low, glide upward, and note where the sound fades out. Because our generator lets you set any frequency from 1 Hz to 20 kHz and switch waveforms on the fly, you can sweep through the range at your own pace without restarting the tone.
The tone sounds like a steady hum at low frequencies and turns into a thin hiss as it climbs toward the top of the range. A sine wave is the cleanest choice for a hearing check because it has very little harmonic content — what you hear is the pitch itself, not extra overtones.
Age and hearing limits: a rough guide
Your upper limit tends to drift downward as you get older — a change called presbycusis that affects high frequencies first. The table below is a rough guide and nothing more. Everyone is different, and a single number does not tell you much about your overall hearing health.
| Age group | Rough upper limit |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | Up to ~17 kHz and above |
| 20s | Typically ~16 kHz |
| 30s | Typically ~15 kHz |
| 40s | Typically ~12–14 kHz |
| 50s | Typically ~10–12 kHz |
The scientific range of healthy hearing is roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but very few adults actually hear all of it. A lower ceiling with age is expected and not a sign of a problem on its own.
Important: this is not a medical test
This tool is a practical way to explore the range you can hear, not a diagnostic instrument. It cannot detect hearing loss, ear conditions, or anything else a professional exam would find. If you think you may have hearing trouble, or if a specific frequency bothers you, talk to an audiologist or a doctor — they have the equipment and training to measure your hearing properly.
How to use it safely
- Set the volume low and keep it low — a comfortable level is all you need.
- Start at a low frequency (for example 100 Hz) and press Play.
- Gradually raise the frequency in small steps until the tone becomes hard to hear.
- Note the highest frequency you can still clearly hear. That is your rough upper limit.
- Repeat from the very low end to find where the tone first becomes audible.
Keep the volume at a comfortable, low level throughout. High frequencies are relentless on the ear, and loud tones can cause discomfort or, in the worst case, damage. A quick, low-volume sweep a few times a week is far safer than a long, loud listen. Stop if anything hurts or feels too sharp.
Related guides
Want to read more? Our guide to testing your hearing with tones walks through the method in more depth. You can also generate a 440 Hz tuning reference or browse the tone generator homepage.