Hearing Range Test

Frequency Chart — What Each Band Sounds Like and Key Frequencies

The pitch of a sound is set by how many times per second the air vibrates — its frequency, in hertz (Hz). Doubling the frequency raises the sound by one octave. The tables below collect the band names commonly used in audio and a set of key frequencies worth knowing.

Press 'Play' on any row to open the tone generator at that frequency. Keep the volume low while listening.

Frequency bands and what you hear

Range (approx.)BandExamples of what you hear
20–60 HzSub-bassThe rumble of a kick drum or the lowest pipe-organ notes; the part of a movie explosion you feel in your body
60–250 HzBassBass guitar, the fundamental of male voices, the punch of a kick drum
250–500 HzLow midrangeThe body of instruments; too much sounds muddy
500 Hz–2 kHzMidrangeThe core of voices and most instruments; the center of telephone speech
2–4 kHzUpper midrangeConsonant clarity; the band the ear is most sensitive to
4–6 kHzPresenceThe sense that a sound is close; too much becomes harsh
6–20 kHzTreble (brilliance)The sparkle of cymbals and hi-hats, sibilants like 's', airiness

Band boundaries vary slightly between fields and sources; they are not defined by an international standard.

Key frequency dictionary

FrequencyNameDescriptionPlay
20 HzLower hearing limit (conventional)The value commonly quoted as the bottom of the human hearing range. Below it, sound is felt as vibration or pressure rather than pitch.▶ Play
27.5 HzLowest piano note, A0The fundamental of the lowest key on an 88-key piano. Barely audible on laptop speakers.▶ Play
50 HzMains hum (50 Hz)The fundamental of the hum that leaks into audio gear in regions with 50 Hz mains power, such as Europe and China.▶ Play
60 HzMains hum (60 Hz)The hum frequency in regions with 60 Hz power, such as Korea and the United States. Japan is split: 50 Hz in the east, 60 Hz in the west.▶ Play
100 HzAround the male voice fundamentalThe fundamental frequency of adult male speech is roughly around 100 Hz (it varies a lot between people).▶ Play
200 HzAround the female voice fundamentalFor adult women it is roughly around 200 Hz (it varies a lot between people).▶ Play
300 HzLower edge of the telephone bandTraditional landline (narrowband) telephony carries only about 300–3,400 Hz. You still hear the pitch of a voice because the brain infers it from the spacing of the harmonics.▶ Play
440 HzStandard pitch A4The reference note for tuning instruments, set at 440 Hz by the international standard ISO 16.▶ Play
1 kHz1 kHz reference toneThe frequency used as the reference in hearing tests and audio measurements — a band the ear hears relatively well.▶ Play
3.4 kHzUpper edge of the telephone bandConsonant energy above this is cut off, which is why narrowband phone voices sound muffled.▶ Play
3.5 kHzEar canal resonanceThe canal from the ear opening to the eardrum resonates at roughly 3–4 kHz, boosting sounds around there. It overlaps the band where people hear the quietest sounds.▶ Play
4 kHzNoise-induced hearing loss notchNoise-induced hearing loss often shows up on an audiogram as a dip around 3–6 kHz (frequently at 4 kHz).▶ Play
4.186 kHzHighest piano note, C8The fundamental of the highest key on an 88-key piano (about 4,186 Hz). Its harmonics extend much higher.▶ Play
8 kHzUpper limit of standard audiometryA routine pure-tone hearing test usually covers 250 Hz–8 kHz. This is where this site's high-limit sweep starts.▶ Play
12 kHz12 kHzThe extended high-frequency range. The upper part of cymbals and sibilants reaches this far.▶ Play
15 kHz15 kHzThe lower end of the average adult upper limit cited in textbooks (15–17 kHz). The horizontal-scan whine of CRT TVs (about 15.7 kHz) sat near here.▶ Play
16 kHz16 kHzA range where extended high-frequency hearing research (9–20 kHz) shows a clear age-related rise in thresholds. Differences between women and men were also reported at 12.5 and 16 kHz (Rodríguez Valiente et al., 2014).▶ Play
17.4 kHzMosquito tone (The Mosquito)The high tone (about 17.4 kHz) of an anti-loitering device created in the UK in 2005. The manufacturer said it is generally audible to people under 25.▶ Play
20 kHzUpper hearing limit (conventional)The textbook upper limit. Even healthy young ears often hear it only at high sound pressure.▶ Play
22.05 kHzNyquist limit of 44.1 kHzThe theoretical highest frequency a CD-quality sample rate can represent. In practice filters start cutting a little below it.Outside playback range
24 kHzNyquist limit of 48 kHzThe theoretical highest frequency at the output sample rate used by most computers and phones.Outside playback range

Things to know when playing