Use headphones for the most accurate result, sit somewhere quiet, and start at a low volume - pure test tones can feel harsher than normal audio. Raise the volume slowly to a comfortable level before you begin. Note: typical computer speakers can't play frequencies below about 100-150 Hz audibly, so the low-frequency part of this test works reliably only with headphones or a subwoofer.
A steady tone is now playing.
If you can't hear anything yet, turn your volume up - then confirm below.
The tone is now rising in pitch, starting below what most people can hear.
Click below the moment you first hear a tone.
Typical computer speakers can't play frequencies below about 100-150 Hz audibly - this number may be limited by your hardware rather than your hearing.
We didn't detect a response before the test finished. Check that your volume is up and your speakers or headphones are working, then try again.
This is a fun approximation, not a medical hearing test. Your reaction time, speakers or headphones, background noise, and system volume all affect the result - many laptop and phone speakers can't reproduce frequencies above 15,000-16,000 Hz, and typical computer speakers can't play frequencies below roughly 100-150 Hz audibly, regardless of your actual hearing. The ear age estimate is based on the highest frequency only - low-frequency hearing barely changes with age, so it's shown just for reference. For an accurate assessment, see an audiologist.
Typical hearing range by age
| Age | Women - highest frequency typically still audible | Men - highest frequency typically still audible |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 20,000 Hz | 19,000 Hz |
| 20 - 29 | 18,000 Hz | 17,000 Hz |
| 30 - 39 | 16,000 Hz | 14,000 Hz |
| 40 - 49 | 14,000 Hz | 12,000 Hz |
| 50 - 59 | 12,000 Hz | 10,000 Hz |
| 60 - 69 | 10,000 Hz | 8,000 Hz |
| 70+ | 8,000 Hz or below | 6,000 Hz or below |
These are typical, widely-cited averages for age-related high-frequency hearing loss (presbycusis), not a strict rule - individual hearing varies a lot regardless of age or sex. Men tend to lose high-frequency hearing somewhat faster than women on average, a gap that widens with age - audiologists attribute this partly to lifelong differences in noise exposure (occupational, recreational) rather than biology alone.
How your hearing compares to other animals
| Animal | Typical hearing range |
|---|---|
| Elephant | 16 Hz - 12,000 Hz |
| Owl | 200 Hz - 12,000 Hz |
| Human (you) | 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz |
| Whale | 10 Hz - 31,000 Hz |
| Lion | 52 Hz - 40,000 Hz |
| Dog | 67 Hz - 45,000 Hz |
| Cat | 45 Hz - 64,000 Hz |
| Mouse | 1,000 Hz - 91,000 Hz |
| Bat | 2,000 Hz - 110,000 Hz |
| Dolphin | 150 Hz - 150,000 Hz |
Approximate, widely-cited ranges - actual hearing varies by species, individual, and measurement method. Elephants and whales specialize in very low (infrasound) frequencies for long-distance communication, while bats and dolphins use very high (ultrasound) frequencies for echolocation.
Each cochlea holds about 15,000-16,000 sensory hair cells, every one topped with a bundle of up to 100 tiny stereocilia - well over a million hair-like sensors doing the actual listening in each ear.
Unlike birds and fish, human hair cells never grow back once destroyed by loud noise, aging, or certain medications - which is exactly why noise-induced and age-related hearing loss is permanent.
The stapes (stirrup), buried deep in the middle ear, is the smallest and lightest bone in the entire human body - lighter than a single grain of rice.
You locate where a sound comes from using tiny timing and volume differences between your two ears - a gap of just a few dozen microseconds is enough for your brain to work out the direction.
Why do you hear fewer frequencies as you get older?
Mostly wear and tear on the cochlea's hair cells, the tiny sensors that turn vibrations into nerve signals. The ones tuned to high frequencies sit right at the entrance and take the brunt of a lifetime of sound, so they tend to fail first, and they never grow back.
What are the reasons hearing gets worse?
Age is the biggest one, called presbycusis, but far from the only one. Loud noise exposure, whether it's one bad concert or years of quieter exposure at work or through headphones, damages the same hair cells and speeds everything up. Certain medications are toxic to the ear, some illnesses cause permanent damage, genetics decides how early or badly it hits, and sometimes it's nothing serious at all, just earwax or fluid buildup temporarily muffling sound until it clears on its own.
Why can I only hear frequencies starting around 100 Hz on my computer?
Your speakers, not your ears. Deep bass needs a speaker cone big enough to move real air, and a thin laptop or small desktop speaker just doesn't have the room for that, so anything below about 100 to 150 Hz gets cut off before it ever reaches you.
What should I do if I hear worse than my age group?
Don't panic based on a browser test. Your result here is skewed by whatever speakers or headphones you're using, background noise, volume, and how fast you click, none of which has much to do with your actual ears. If it keeps nagging at you, book a real test with an audiologist or ENT doctor, who can measure your hearing properly and rule out simple, fixable causes like earwax or fluid before anything is assumed to be permanent.