If you’ve had a hearing test, you’ve seen an audiogram — the graph that maps your hearing ability across frequencies. For most people, it’s a chart full of symbols that a provider explains briefly before moving on. Here’s what it actually tells you.

The X-Axis: Frequency

The horizontal axis represents sound frequency, measured in hertz (Hz), running from low frequencies (250 Hz) on the left to high frequencies (8000 Hz) on the right. Low frequencies correspond to sounds like bass, rumbling engines, and the low tones of speech. High frequencies correspond to consonants like s, f, th, and sh — the sounds most important for speech clarity.

The Y-Axis: Intensity

The vertical axis represents loudness in decibels (dB HL — hearing level). The scale runs from quiet at the top (0 dB) to loud at the bottom (120 dB). The softest sound you can detect at each frequency is plotted as a point on the graph.

Reading the Results

Points falling in the top quarter of the graph (0-25 dB) represent normal hearing. Points in the middle ranges (26-70 dB) represent mild to moderate hearing loss — the range where hearing aids provide the most benefit. Points below 70 dB indicate severe to profound loss.

The Shape Matters

A flat audiogram suggests equal loss across all frequencies. A sloping audiogram — loss that gets worse at higher frequencies — is the most common pattern and explains why many people can hear that someone is speaking but can’t make out what they’re saying.

At Embrace Hearing, we walk through every audiogram in detail. Ask us anything — no question is too basic.