What can hear that frequency?
Human hearing spans about ten octaves, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and the top end goes first with age.
Almost exactly a concert A
440 Hz is higher than 4 of the 11 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| lowest audible | 20 Hz | 22× | |
| lowest note on a piano | 27.5 Hz | 16× | |
| bass guitar low E | 41.2 Hz | 10.7× | |
| male speaking voice | 110 Hz | 4× | |
| concert A | 440 Hz | 1× | |
| highest note on a piano | 4,186 Hz | 0.105× | |
| upper limit at 50 years old | 12,000 Hz | 1/27.3 | |
| highest audible, young ears | 20,000 Hz | 1/45.5 | |
| dog hearing limit | 45,000 Hz | 1/102 | |
| bat echolocation | 110,000 Hz | 1/250 | |
| dolphin echolocation | 150,000 Hz | 1/341 |
Worth knowing
- The top of human hearing falls by roughly 1 kHz every five years after 20. Most 50-year-olds cannot hear above 12 kHz.
- Doubling a frequency raises the pitch by exactly one octave. Concert A at 440 Hz becomes 880, 1 760, 3 520.
Frequently asked
What frequencies can humans hear?
20 Hz to 20 kHz for a healthy young ear. The lower limit stays put; the upper one falls steadily with age and noise exposure.
Why is concert A 440 Hz?
By international agreement in 1939, replacing a range of local standards. Many orchestras still tune to 442 or 443 for a brighter sound.