What did Aristotle correctly and incorrectly propose about sound waves?

In the study of acoustics, the Greek philosopher Aristotle made significant, albeit philosophical, contributions to the understanding of sound propagation.

• Correct Proposal: Aristotle correctly suggested that a sound wave travels through the air via the motion of the air itself.1
• Incorrect Proposal: He incorrectly proposed that high-frequency sounds propagate faster than low-frequency sounds. This error persisted in scientific thought for many centuries.1

While Aristotle’s hypothesis regarding air motion was a foundational step, it was based more on philosophy than on the experimental physics that would later define the field.1