What is Hearing Test?

The Hearing Test plays pure tones at different frequencies so you can check your hearing range. Test each ear independently from 250 Hz (bass) to 16,000 Hz (treble) and see your results as a simple audiogram.

Seven pure tones are played in sequence (250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, and 16000 Hz), generated by the Web Audio API so the pitch is mathematically exact. For each tone you raise the volume until it is just audible, and that detection point becomes your estimated threshold in dB HL. Left, Right, and Both-ear results are tracked on separate audiogram lines with the same X and O markers an audiologist would use, and a severity card summarises the average across speech frequencies once enough tones have been tested.

How to use

1. Step 1 — Put on wired headphones and finish the short calibration step so the dB HL readings line up with a real-world loudness.
2. Step 2 — For each of the seven frequencies, pick an ear, press Play, lower the volume to silence, and raise it until you can just barely hear the tone. Mark that moment.
3. Step 3 — Read your audiogram, severity badge, and speech-frequency average in dB HL. Toggle the speech banana to see which conversational sounds your thresholds might miss.

When to use

• Spotting whether high-frequency loss has crept in after years of headphone use.
• Quick check before booking a professional audiology appointment so you can describe symptoms.
• Comparing ears side-by-side after a recent ear infection or noise exposure.

Result

Testing both ears separately at 1 kHz you mark 15 dB HL on the right and 20 dB HL on the left. Higher frequencies climb steadily until 8 kHz lands near 45 dB HL on both sides. The severity card reads Mild loss, the speech-frequency average shows 28 dB HL, and the speech banana overlay reveals the higher-pitched 's' and 'th' sounds that your thresholds are starting to brush against.

FAQ

Is this a substitute for a real audiologist's hearing test?

No. A clinical audiogram uses calibrated speakers in a soundproof booth and measures absolute thresholds in decibels. This tool only screens — it can flag obvious losses but cannot diagnose. Take noticeable gaps to a registered audiologist for confirmation.

Why are headphones important for accurate results?

Laptop and phone speakers can't reproduce tones below ~200 Hz or above ~16 kHz cleanly, and room reflections distort what you hear. Wired headphones bypass both problems. Bluetooth headphones add latency but still work for screening at most frequencies.

I can't hear 16 kHz. Should I be worried?

Probably not. Hearing above 14 kHz typically fades with age — most adults over 30 can't hear 16 kHz cleanly, and most over 50 lose 12 kHz. Concerning losses happen in the 2 to 4 kHz speech range, not the very top of the spectrum.

Why does the same tone sound louder in one ear than the other?

Small asymmetries are normal — most people have a slightly better ear. A noticeable difference (one ear hears the tone, the other doesn't, at the same volume) is worth bringing to an audiologist, especially if it appeared recently after illness.

What does the audiogram chart show?

Each tested frequency gets a marker plotted on a dB HL scale that runs from -10 at the top to 80 at the bottom, matching the layout used in clinical audiograms. Left ear is drawn as a blue X, right ear as a red O, and combined-ear results as an orange dot. The shape across frequencies, plus the optional speech-banana overlay, hints at the pattern an audiologist would look for.

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