Hearing Range Test
Find the highest frequency you can hear. Not a medical test.
The test
With headphones at a comfortable volume, tones climb from 8 kHz toward 20 kHz; press "I can hear it" or "can't" at each step, and your ceiling is reported with age-range context. It tests your ears and your equipment together โ laptop speakers often quit before 15 kHz, so headphones give the honest number.
What the ceiling means โ and what it doesn't
Nominal human hearing spans 20 Hz-20 kHz, and the top recedes predictably with age (presbycusis): teenagers commonly hear past 17 kHz, forties typically top out near 15, sixties near 12. This is why the 17.4 kHz "mosquito" ringtone was inaudible to teachers, and why the same frequency has been used โ controversially โ to disperse teenagers from shopfronts. Losing extreme treble is universal and harmless: speech lives below 8 kHz and music's substance below 12.
The loss that matters is different: trouble following speech, especially in noise, happens in frequencies this test barely touches and needs an audiologist's calibrated booth, not a browser. If conversations are getting harder, book that test. And protect the range you have โ loud headphones damage hearing faster than ageing does. The speaker test covers the equipment half separately.
Frequently asked questions
What frequency should I be able to hear at my age?
Rough medians: teens 17-19 kHz, twenties 16-17, thirties ~16, forties ~15, fifties ~14, sixties ~12. Equipment shifts results, so treat bands loosely.
Is this a real hearing test?
No โ medical audiometry measures quiet thresholds across speech frequencies on calibrated equipment. This is an entertainment test of high-frequency ceiling.
Why can't I hear the high tones on my laptop?
Small speakers often roll off before 15 kHz โ the tone is playing but not being reproduced. Use headphones for a meaningful result.
Should I worry about losing high frequencies?
Age-related treble loss is universal and harmless. The concerning sign is difficulty with speech in noise โ that deserves an audiologist, whatever this test says.