#1Mosquito Tone Test (Hearing Age Check)
#2Check a Specific Frequency (Free Play)
What Is the Mosquito Tone? (The 17kHz Sound)
The mosquito tone is a high-pitched whine at around 17kHz, named after the sound of a mosquito’s wings. The human hearing range is usually quoted as 20Hz–20kHz, but the highest frequencies are the first to fade as you age. Hearing 17kHz is roughly a marker for age 24 and under — a property exploited by real "Mosquito" anti-loitering devices that play a tone only young people can hear.
Hearing Age Chart (What Frequency Means What Age?)
| Highest frequency heard | Estimated hearing age | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20kHz | Early teens or younger | Child-level hearing range. Most adults cannot hear this |
| 19kHz | Teens | Very young ears |
| 18kHz | Under ~20 | Typical for teens to around age 20 |
| 17kHz | Under ~24 | The famous mosquito tone. Hearing it means young ears |
| 16kHz | Under ~30 | Typical for late 20s to around 30 |
| 15kHz | Under ~40 | The average range for people in their 30s |
| 14kHz | 40s | The average range for people in their 40s |
| 12kHz | 50s | The average range for people in their 50s |
| 10kHz | 60s | The average range for people in their 60s |
| 8kHz | 70s and up | 8kHz also matters for understanding speech |
* Ages are statistical estimates only. Individual variation is large, and playback hardware, volume, and environment all shift the result.
Can’t Hear It? Suspect Your Hardware Before Your Ears
When a high tone is inaudible, the playback chain is often the culprit rather than your ears.Bluetooth earbuds can cut everything above ~16kHz due to codec compression, and laptop or budget speakers reproduce high frequencies poorly. If your result seems worse than your age, switch to wired earphones or headphones and try again. Some phone speakers also attenuate high frequencies significantly.
* This tool is a quick entertainment check, not a medical hearing test. If you have concerns about your hearing, please consult an audiologist or ENT specialist.
Why High Frequencies Fade With Age
Sound is sensed by hair cells lining the cochlea in your inner ear. The cells responsible for high frequencies sit at the cochlea's entrance, where every sound vibration passes through — so they take the most wear and are the first to fail.
Hair cells do not regenerate once lost, which is why your hearing range narrows steadily from the top down. Ears that reached nearly 20kHz in your teens typically manage around 16kHz in your 30s and around 12kHz in your 50s — not a disease, just natural change.
Because the decline creeps forward a little each day, you never notice it happening. Seeing the number is what makes this test fun — and why comparing results with friends of different ages gets lively.
How to Get an Accurate Result
- Use wired earphones or headphones — Bluetooth codecs can cut high frequencies
- Test in a quiet room; AC and fan noise masks faint high tones
- Never change the volume mid-test. Set it with the reference tone and keep it there
- If you only think you might hear it, answer no. Ruthlessness keeps the result honest
- Try each ear separately — it can reveal a difference between your left and right
Results also shift with your condition and surroundings. Rather than fixating on one run, track changes over time with the same gear in the same room.
How to Protect Your Hearing
Age-related change can't be stopped, but noise damage can be prevented. Long sessions of loud music — especially blasting earbuds — are the biggest direct killer of hair cells.
The WHO's safety benchmark is roughly 80dB (about subway-car loudness) for 40 hours a week. Lower volume stretches the allowance; a 100dB concert burns through it in tens of minutes. Musician's earplugs at live shows and keeping earbuds at a level where you can still hear conversation are habits your ears will thank you for in ten years.