You can check your hearing at home with an online hearing test that plays pure tones at different pitches to one ear at a time through headphones, finding the quietest sound you can hear at each frequency. Because a browser cannot know how loud the sound actually is at your ear, an online test cannot measure your true hearing level in decibels or diagnose hearing loss. What it can do well is compare your two ears, track changes over time on the same equipment and tell you when a professional hearing test is a good idea.
- Hearing is measured as the quietest level you can hear (your threshold) at frequencies from low to high pitch, plotted on an audiogram.
- Clinical results are in dB HL, where 0 dB HL is the average threshold of young adults with healthy hearing; higher numbers mean poorer hearing.
- Online tests are uncalibrated: volume, headphones and room noise all shift the result, so treat the numbers as relative, not absolute.
- The most useful findings from a home test are a clear difference between your ears or a drop compared with an earlier test on the same set-up.
- Sudden hearing loss, especially in one ear, is a medical emergency: see a doctor the same day rather than testing at home.
How is hearing measured?
A standard hearing test, pure-tone audiometry, plays single-pitch tones to each ear and records the quietest level you detect about half the time: your threshold at that frequency.
- Frequency is pitch, in hertz (Hz). Human hearing is usually quoted as about 20 Hz to 20 kHz; a routine test covers about 250 Hz to 8 kHz, the range most important for speech.
- Intensity is loudness, in decibels (dB). The scale is logarithmic: +10 dB is ten times the sound intensity and, as a rule of thumb, sounds roughly twice as loud.
Audiologists use dB HL (hearing level). Because the ear is more sensitive to some frequencies than others, 0 dB HL is set separately at each frequency as the average threshold of young adults with healthy ears. 40 dB HL means a tone must be 40 dB louder than that before you hear it; slightly negative results are normal.
Clinics test through earphones (air conduction) and often with a small vibrator behind the ear that reaches the inner ear through bone (bone conduction). Comparing the two shows whether a loss comes from the outer or middle ear, or from the inner ear and hearing nerve.
What is an audiogram and how do you read one?
An audiogram charts your thresholds. Frequency runs from low pitch on the left to high pitch on the right; hearing level runs down the side with quiet sounds at the top, so better hearing is higher on the chart. The right ear is conventionally a red O and the left a blue X.
The World Health Organization grades hearing using the average threshold at 500 Hz, 1, 2 and 4 kHz in the better ear:
| Average hearing level | WHO grade | What it can mean in a quiet room |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 dB HL | Normal hearing | No problem hearing sounds |
| 20 to under 35 dB HL | Mild | Usually no problem in quiet, but may struggle to follow conversation in noise |
| 35 to under 50 dB HL | Moderate | May have difficulty hearing conversational speech |
| 50 to under 65 dB HL | Moderately severe | Difficulty with conversation, especially in groups; can hear raised voices |
| 65 to under 80 dB HL | Severe | Does not hear most conversational speech |
| 80 to under 95 dB HL | Profound | Extreme difficulty hearing raised voices |
| 95 dB HL or more | Complete or total | Cannot hear speech or most environmental sounds |
Boundaries differ slightly between clinics, and the shape matters as much as the average: a steep high-frequency loss can give a "mild" average yet make consonants such as s, f and th hard to hear. Bone conduction results describe the type of loss:
- Conductive: bone conduction is normal but air conduction is worse, so sound is blocked in the ear canal or middle ear, for example by earwax, fluid or a perforated eardrum.
- Sensorineural: both are reduced similarly, pointing to the inner ear or hearing nerve, as in age-related and noise-induced loss.
- Mixed: a combination of the two.
What can an online hearing test do, and what can't it?
A clinical audiometer is calibrated so each dB HL value produces a known sound level in a specific earphone. A web page cannot know your volume setting, your headphones' sensitivity and seal, or what the operating system does to the sound, and headphones rarely play every frequency equally loudly. This lack of calibration is the central limit of any online hearing test.
| An online test can | An online test cannot |
|---|---|
| Show whether your two ears hear about equally, since both share the same headphones, volume and room | Measure your true hearing level in dB HL |
| Compare your results with an earlier test on the same headphones and volume | Diagnose hearing loss, its type or its cause |
| Show roughly where your hearing fades at high frequencies | Test bone conduction, use masking, or measure middle ear function |
| Prompt you to book a professional test | Measure how well you understand speech, especially in noise |
Our online hearing test handles this openly: you set a comfortable 1 kHz reference tone, and every result is reported in dB relative to it. Its hearing score is a rough estimate based on stated assumptions, and silent catch rounds count false alarms, because guessing makes thresholds look better.
How to take an online hearing test properly
- Use headphones, ideally wired. Speakers cannot reach one ear only. Check both sides with the speaker and headphone test.
- Turn off sound processing such as spatial audio, equaliser presets and "Mono audio", and centre the balance.
- Find a quiet room. Background noise raises your thresholds, mostly at low frequencies.
- Set the volume once and leave it. The reference tone should be clear but comfortable, never loud. Note the setting for next time.
- Respond to anything you hear, however faint, but do not guess when you hear nothing.
- Re-test anything odd. Re-seat the headphones; turning them round shows whether a weaker side follows the headphones or your ear.
- Save the result with the date and headphones used, so future tests compare fairly.
Common audiogram patterns
These shapes are clues for a professional, not a diagnosis, and a home test can only hint at them.
- Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) usually affects both ears similarly, starting at the highest frequencies and sloping down to the right. It is often first noticed as difficulty following conversation in noise.
- Noise-induced hearing loss often shows a dip, sometimes called a "noise notch", somewhere around 3 to 6 kHz, frequently deepest near 4 kHz, with hearing recovering somewhat at 8 kHz. Not everyone with noise damage has a notch, and not every notch is caused by noise.
- Conductive loss from earwax or middle ear fluid is often fairly flat and may improve once treated.
- Asymmetric loss, one ear clearly worse, always deserves a professional check.
Many young people hear up to around 17 to 20 kHz, and that limit usually falls through adulthood. Very high tones say little about speech, and many headphones cannot reproduce them, so a highest-frequency result reflects your equipment as well as your ears.
How to protect your hearing
Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent but largely preventable. Risk depends on both loudness and duration: many workplace rules treat an average of around 85 dB(A) over an eight-hour day as the point where protection is needed, and under the widely used 3 dB exchange rate each extra 3 dB halves the safe time.
- Follow the 60/60 rule of thumb for headphones: no more than about 60% of maximum volume for about 60 minutes at a time, then take a break. It is a simple guide rather than a precise limit, because the actual sound level depends on the device and headphones.
- Use noise-cancelling headphones in noisy places so you do not turn the volume up.
- Wear earplugs at concerts, clubs and with power tools; musician's earplugs keep music natural.
- Use your phone's safe-listening features, which can track headphone exposure.
- Take ringing as a warning: it means the noise was loud enough to risk damage.
- Do not use cotton buds in your ears; ask a pharmacist, nurse or doctor about wax.
When should you see an audiologist or doctor?
Arrange a hearing test with an audiologist, hearing care professional or your doctor if:
- you often ask people to repeat themselves, or find speech hard to follow in noisy places;
- you turn the TV or radio up louder than others like;
- one ear seems weaker than the other, or an online test repeatedly shows a clear difference between your ears;
- you have ringing, buzzing or hissing in your ears (tinnitus) that lasts or bothers you;
- you work in a noisy job, or family members have noticed a change.
Managing hearing loss early, with hearing aids or other support where needed, makes conversation, work and social life easier. In some countries, such as the United States, over-the-counter hearing aids are available for adults with perceived mild to moderate loss, but a professional assessment remains the best starting point.
For more screenings, see the health tests page; to check headphones, speakers and microphones, browse the device tests. For your eyes, read how to test your eyesight at home.
Frequently asked questions
Are online hearing tests accurate?
Only in a relative sense. Without calibrated equipment, no online test can give true dB HL values or a diagnosis, but they are good at comparing your ears and tracking changes on the same headphones and volume.
What is a normal hearing test result?
On a clinical audiogram, thresholds under 20 dB HL across the main speech frequencies are classed as normal by the WHO; some clinics use 25 dB HL as the cut-off. On an uncalibrated online test, the useful sign is that both ears are close together and results are stable over time.
What does dB HL mean?
Decibels hearing level: a scale where 0 dB HL at each frequency is the average quietest sound heard by young adults with healthy hearing. Higher numbers indicate poorer hearing.
Why is my hearing worse at high frequencies?
Age- and noise-related loss usually show up at high frequencies first, and headphones can also be weaker there. If the drop is marked, worsening or affects one ear more, see a professional.
What is the 60/60 rule?
A rule of thumb for headphones: no more than about 60% of maximum volume for about 60 minutes at a time, then a break. Sound levels vary between devices, so it is a guide, not a guarantee.
Should I worry about sudden hearing loss in one ear?
Yes. Sudden hearing loss, particularly in one ear, should be seen by a doctor urgently, ideally the same day. Treatment, where appropriate, tends to work better when started early. Do not use an online test to decide whether to seek help.