How tinnitus matching works
Tinnitus is a sound you hear with no outside source: ringing, whistling, hissing or buzzing. This tool lets you build a sound that resembles yours and read off its frequency. It does not measure your hearing itself; a hearing test does that. Headphones work best, because you can play the sound into the ear where the tinnitus seems to be.
- Press Start tinnitus matching. A soft sound fades in slowly, starting at a low volume (−60 dB on the volume scale).
- Move the frequency slider. It is logarithmic and runs from 250 Hz to 16 kHz, so each octave gets the same amount of space and the high range, where most tinnitus sits, is easy to reach.
- Fine-tune with − and +. Each press moves the pitch by 1/24 of an octave, which is half a semitone (50 cents).
- Check the octave with ½× and 2×. They jump one octave down or up. Keep whichever sounds closest.
- Choose the sound type: a pure tone (like a whistle) or narrow-band noise (like a hiss, about one third of an octave wide). Choose the ear: both, left or right.
- When the sound is as close as you can get, press Save this match.
Play and Pause start and stop the sound. Set the volume only as loud as you need to compare, roughly as loud as your tinnitus. The volume slider runs from −80 to −15 dB relative to your device's maximum output.
Why the octave check matters
Matching a sound you cannot switch off is harder than it sounds. Pitch matches often shift from one session to the next, and tones exactly one octave apart are easy to mix up, because high tones an octave apart share a similar character. That is why the ½× and 2× buttons exist: compare the match with its neighbours above and below before you save it.
For the same reason, one match is a snapshot. Save matches on a few different days. The tool keeps your last 10 matches in this browser and shows their spread on the result card, so you can see whether your matches cluster around one pitch or wander. Delete saved matches removes them.
Reading your result
The result card shows "Your matched frequency ≈ …" together with the sound type, the ear and the volume setting. There is no score and no "good" or "bad" result.
The number can be useful when you talk to an audiologist or an ENT doctor, and many people find it reassuring to put a name on the sound. It does not show what causes the tinnitus, and the volume setting is not a clinical loudness measurement, because headphones and device volume are not calibrated.
How common is tinnitus?
Very common. A 2022 meta-analysis of studies from around the world estimated that about 14.4% of adults have some tinnitus and about 2.3% have severe tinnitus. It becomes more frequent with age: 9.7% at 18–44 years, 13.7% at 45–64 and 23.6% at 65 and over (Jarach et al., 2022).
Tinnitus often goes together with hearing loss, but not always. Noise exposure, ear wax, ear infections, some medicines, and stress are among the factors doctors look at. A hearing test is usually part of the assessment, and the hearing test on this site can be a first self-check. If you are curious how high your ears still reach, the hearing age test finds the highest tone you can hear, the same high range where most tinnitus sits.
What about notched sound and other therapies?
You may read about "notch therapy" or "tailor-made notched music": music with the band around your tinnitus frequency filtered out. A small early study reported lower tinnitus loudness after a year of listening (Okamoto et al., 2010), but later evidence has been limited and inconsistent, and it is not an established treatment in clinical guidelines. This page does not offer any therapy, and matching the frequency does not treat tinnitus.
Clinical guidelines focus on assessment, education and support. The American guideline recommends counselling, hearing aids for people with hearing loss and cognitive behavioural therapy, and recommends against routinely using medicines or supplements for persistent bothersome tinnitus (Tunkel et al., 2014). The UK NICE guideline (NG155, 2020) covers assessment and referral, psychological support, sound therapy and amplification options.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor promptly if your tinnitus:
- started suddenly,
- is only in one ear,
- pulses in time with your heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus),
- comes with sudden hearing loss, dizziness or weakness in the face.
Sudden hearing loss needs medical help the same day. For tinnitus that is persistent, distressing or affects sleep, an audiologist or ENT doctor can assess it and explain the options.
This tool is a self-check for curiosity and record keeping, not a medical diagnosis. The sound is made in your browser, and nothing is recorded or uploaded. If a sound makes your tinnitus worse, stop.
More tests for your ears are on the hearing tests page.
Sources
- Jarach CM, Lugo A, Scala M, et al. (2022). "Global prevalence and incidence of tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis." JAMA Neurology 79(9):888–900.
- Henry JA, Meikle MB (2000). "Psychoacoustic measures of tinnitus." Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 11(3):138–155.
- Okamoto H, Stracke H, Stoll W, Pantev C (2010). "Listening to tailor-made notched music reduces tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related auditory cortex activity." PNAS 107(3):1207–1210.
- Tunkel DE, et al. (2014). "Clinical Practice Guideline: Tinnitus." Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery 151(2 Suppl):S1–S40.
- NICE (2020). Tinnitus: assessment and management (NICE guideline NG155).
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my tinnitus frequency?
Play a sound, move the frequency slider until it resembles your ringing, fine-tune it, then compare the match one octave lower and higher and keep the closest. This tool covers 250 Hz to 16 kHz with a pure tone or narrow-band noise, and saves your matches in this browser.
Should I use a tone or noise?
Pick whichever sounds more like your tinnitus. A pure tone resembles whistling or ringing; narrow-band noise, about one third of an octave wide, resembles hissing or rushing. You can switch between them while the sound is playing.
Why are my matches different each time?
That is normal. Tinnitus pitch matches vary from session to session, and tones one octave apart are easy to confuse. Save matches on several days and look at the spread shown on the result card instead of relying on a single number.
Can finding the frequency cure my tinnitus?
No. Matching the frequency describes the sound; it is not a treatment. Approaches such as notched music have been studied, but the evidence is limited and inconsistent, and clinical guidelines do not list it as an established treatment.
Is the sound safe to listen to?
Keep it low. The sound starts at −60 dB on the volume scale and fades in slowly, and you only need it about as loud as your tinnitus. A louder sound does not make the match more accurate. Stop if a sound makes your tinnitus worse.
When should I see a doctor about ringing in my ears?
Promptly if the tinnitus started suddenly, is only in one ear, pulses with your heartbeat, or comes with sudden hearing loss, dizziness or weakness in the face. Sudden hearing loss needs medical help the same day. For lasting or distressing tinnitus, see an audiologist or an ENT doctor.
Where are my saved matches stored?
Only in this browser. The last 10 matches are kept on your device and never uploaded. Clearing site data or pressing Delete saved matches removes them.