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What is the average upper hearing limit for adults?
14–16 kHz (adults)
What is the average upper hearing limit for adults?
While young children can hear up to 20 kHz, the average adult can only detect frequencies up to about 14–16 kHz. By age 50, most people's upper limit has dropped to around 12 kHz. This gradual decline — called presbycusis — begins as early as the mid-20s and is driven by the progressive loss of cochlear hair cells.
Source: Śliwińska-Kowalska & Kowalski (2021); Lutman (1991) British Journal of Audiology
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Hearing Range
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