audiometry

medicine

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Audiometry is a medical field focused on measuring hearing ability. It uses specialized equipment, like an audiometer, to determine an individual's hearing threshold for various pure tones. This process helps identify the lowest intensity at which a person can hear a sound at different frequencies, typically ranging from 125 to 10,000 hertz.1

The results are plotted on an audiogram, which visually represents hearing levels across different frequencies. This allows audiologists to diagnose the type and degree of hearing loss, distinguishing between conductive issues (affecting the middle ear) and sensorineural impairments (affecting the inner ear or auditory nerve). Tuning-fork tests, like the Rinne and Weber tests, are older methods that provide a qualitative assessment of hearing loss by evaluating bone and air conduction.12

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Audiometry
With the introduction of the electric audiometer in the 1930s, it became possible to measure an individual’s hearing threshold for a series of pure tones ranging from a lower frequency of 125 hertz to an upper frequency of 8,000 or 10,000 hertz. This span…
Read More
With the introduction of the electric audiometer in the 1930s, it became possible to measure an individual’s hearing threshold for a series of pure tones ranging from a lower frequency of 125 hertz to an upper frequency of 8,000 or 10,000 hertz. This span…
Read More