If you’ve ever had a hearing test done, you might leave your first one holding a small graph covered in dots, lines, and unfamiliar abbreviations. It’s normal to feel quite confused at first, but your audiologist will have to walk you through it.
The graph you’re holding after the test is an audiogram, and it is the most important document that comes out of a hearing test. That’s why understanding the basics of how to read it makes a real difference to how confident you feel about your hearing health.
This guide explains what an audiogram is, what each part of the chart means, and how audiologists interpret the results. It will not replace the conversation with your own audiologist, but it should help that conversation make more sense.
What Is an Audiogram?
An audiogram is a visual graph that shows the softest sounds you can hear across a range of pitches, in each ear. It is the standard way audiologists record and display the results of a pure tone audiometry test.
This is the part of the hearing assessment where you press a button each time you hear a beep through headphones.
Each beep is played at a specific pitch (frequency) and volume (decibels). The audiogram plots the quietest level at which you could just hear each pitch. The result is a map of your hearing threshold levels, which is the boundary between what you can and cannot hear in each ear.
For a broader walk-through of how the test itself works, our guide to what happens in an audiometry examination covers the appointment in detail.
How to Read an Audiogram
An audiogram looks more complicated than it is once you know what each axis represents. The chart has two key axes:
- The horizontal axis (left to right) — shows frequency, or pitch, measured in Hertz (Hz). Low pitches (deep sounds like a foghorn) sit on the left. High pitches (sounds like a whistle or a bird) sit on the right
- The vertical axis (top to bottom) — shows volume, measured in decibels hearing level (dB HL). Quiet sounds sit at the top of the chart. Loud sounds sit at the bottom
The further down the chart your results sit, the louder a sound has to be before you can hear it. That is the key thing to understand: lower on the audiogram is not better. It means your hearing threshold for that pitch is higher than ideal.
You will also see two sets of markings: one for each ear. The convention is:
- An “X” marks your left ear results
- An “O” marks your right ear results
- The dots are usually joined with lines so you can see the shape of your hearing across pitches
Understanding Decibels and Hearing Thresholds
Decibels hearing level (dB HL) is the unit used on an audiogram, but it is not the same as the decibels you might see on a noise meter. Zero dB HL is not the absence of sound, but the softest sound a person with normal hearing can detect. Higher numbers represent louder sounds.
Audiologists generally categorise hearing into ranges:
- Normal hearing: 0–25 dB HL
- Mild hearing loss: 26–40 dB HL
- Moderate hearing loss: 41–55 dB HL
- Moderately severe: 56–70 dB HL
- Severe: 71–90 dB HL
- Profound: 91+ dB HL
The degree of hearing loss can also vary across frequencies. Many people have normal hearing in the lower pitches but mild to moderate loss in the higher ones, which is why speech can sound “muffled” or “unclear” even when overall volume seems fine.
Types of Hearing Loss Shown on an Audiogram
A pure tone audiometry test usually measures two things: how you hear sound through the air (air conduction) and how you hear sound through the bones of your skull (bone conduction). Comparing the two helps identify the type of hearing loss.
| Type | What It Means | What the Audiogram Shows |
| Sensorineural hearing loss | Damage to the inner ear or hearing nerve | Both air and bone conduction results sit below normal at similar levels |
| Conductive hearing loss | Sound is blocked from reaching the inner ear (e.g. wax, fluid, eardrum issues) | Bone conduction is normal; air conduction is below normal |
| Mixed hearing loss | A combination of both | Both lines are below normal, with a gap between them |
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common in adults and is usually age- or noise-related. Conductive loss is often temporary and treatable. The pattern on your audiogram is the first clue to which is which.
What the Audiogram Doesn’t Tell You
An audiogram is the standard starting point, but it doesn’t cover everything. It does not measure:
- How well you understand speech, especially in background noise
- Whether you have tinnitus
- Whether your symptoms are related to a middle ear issue, the inner ear, or something further along the hearing pathway
- The likely cause of your hearing loss
For a complete picture, a full hearing assessment usually includes speech tests, tympanometry (which checks the middle ear), and sometimes more detailed evaluations. Our advanced hearing test service covers these together when a deeper assessment is needed.
What to Do With Your Results
Once you understand the basics of the audiogram, the next step is making sense of what your specific results suggest for you. That is where an audiologist’s interpretation matters.
Two people with similar-looking audiograms can have very different lifestyle impacts and very different treatment options. A workplace baseline audiogram for someone in a noisy industry, for example, is read differently from the results of someone over 60 noticing speech becoming harder to follow.
If your results were taken as part of an occupational assessment, our blog on what happens during a pre-employment hearing test can make more sense to you.
Make Sense of Your Results With Confidence
An audiogram is a useful document, but it is only one part of the picture. Understanding what the chart shows gives you a foundation for your hearing health. The interpretation that turns the chart into a plan that needs an audiologist who knows your history, your hearing concerns, and your lifestyle.
If you have hearing test results you would like explained, or if you have not had your hearing checked recently and want to start with a baseline, our team at Audience Hearing will walk you through your audiogram in plain terms and talk through what, if anything, it suggests for next steps.
Book an appointment with us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an audiogram?
An audiogram is a visual chart that shows the softest sounds you can hear across different pitches, for each ear. It is the standard way audiologists record the results of a pure tone audiometry test.
2. How do I read my audiogram?
The horizontal axis shows pitch (low pitches on the left, high pitches on the right). The vertical axis shows volume in decibels hearing level, with quieter sounds at the top. Lower on the chart means your hearing threshold is higher. “X” markings show left ear results, “O” markings show right ear results.
3. What is normal hearing on an audiogram?
Hearing thresholds between 0 and 25 dB HL across the speech frequencies are generally considered normal for adults. Results below this range indicate some degree of hearing loss, ranging from mild to profound.
4. What does sensorineural hearing loss look like on an audiogram?
Sensorineural hearing loss shows up as both air and bone conduction thresholds sitting below normal levels, usually at similar values. It is the most common type of hearing loss in adults.
5. Can an audiogram show why I have hearing loss?
An audiogram shows the type and degree of hearing loss, but not always the cause. Identifying the cause usually requires additional testing and your full medical history, which an audiologist will go through during your appointment.
6. How often should I have an audiometry test?
Adults over 50 should have a hearing test every one to two years, or sooner if they notice changes. Those working in noisy environments or wearing hearing aids should have annual reviews.
7. How do I book an audiometry test at Audience Hearing?
You can book directly through the Audience Hearing contact page. Our audiologists will conduct a full audiometry examination and walk you through your audiogram in clear terms.
