An audiogram records the softest test tones you can hear at different pitches. Its lines and symbols help your audiologist explain your hearing, but you do not need to understand every technical detail to get something useful from it.
If you have a copy of your results, start with three things: the pitch being tested, the hearing level marked on the chart, and which ear the symbol represents. Here is how those pieces fit together.
Start with the two sides of the chart
Across the chart: pitch
The horizontal axis shows frequency, measured in hertz (Hz). Lower-pitched tones are on the left; higher-pitched tones are on the right. Many adult audiograms show test frequencies from 250 Hz to 8000 Hz, sometimes including 125 Hz.
Think of the difference between a low musical note and a high whistle. Moving across the chart changes the pitch being tested, not how loud it is.
Down the chart: test-tone volume
The vertical axis shows how loud the test tone needed to be. You can think of this as the test-tone volume, measured on a standard hearing-test scale called decibels hearing level (dB HL). HL stands for “hearing level”. We keep that label because it identifies the scale used on audiograms; it is different from a measurement of everyday noise. Zero dB HL is a reference for typical hearing sensitivity, not complete silence.
A plotted mark is a hearing threshold: the softest level detected for that test tone. A mark farther down the chart means the tone needed to be louder before it was heard. If the threshold falls outside the normal range used by your audiologist, it may indicate hearing loss at that pitch.
Which symbols belong to each ear?
Your report may show both ears on the same graph or use a separate graph for each ear. Either way, check the ear labels and symbols. For tones delivered through earphones, the common symbols are:
- O for the right ear, often shown in red.
- X for the left ear, often shown in blue.
Colours may disappear on a black-and-white printout, and other symbols can appear depending on how testing was performed. Check your chart’s legend rather than relying on colour alone. Ask your audiologist to identify any unfamiliar marks.
Try reading one result
- Normal: −10–15 dB HL
- Slight: 16–25 dB HL
- Mild: 26–40 dB HL
- Moderate: 41–55 dB HL
- Moderately severe: 56–70 dB HL
- Severe: 71–90 dB HL
- Profound: 91+ dB HL
View example values and hearing categories
| Pitch (Hz) | Threshold (dB HL) | Category at this pitch |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 10 | Normal |
| 500 | 10 | Normal |
| 1000 | 20 | Slight |
| 2000 | 35 | Mild |
| 4000 | 50 | Moderate |
| 8000 | 60 | Moderately severe |
The 20, 35, 50 and 60 dB HL readings are outside the normal band in this classification. The 20 dB HL reading may be classified as normal under a different clinical cut-off. These are categories for individual fictional thresholds, not a diagnosis or an overall hearing-loss grade.
Imagine an O at the point where 2000 Hz meets 35 dB HL. Read it in three steps:
- Find 2000 Hz along the horizontal axis: this is the pitch tested.
- Follow that frequency to the O, then read across to 35 dB HL.
- Check the legend: in this example, O represents the right ear’s air-conduction result.
That point records a right-ear threshold of 35 dB HL at 2000 Hz. Now imagine the same ear has a threshold of 10 dB HL at 500 Hz and 50 dB HL at 4000 Hz. In this fictional example, higher-pitched test tones needed a higher hearing level to be detected.
You can compare the ears by looking at their results at the same frequency. Your audiologist can explain whether any differences need further investigation.
These numbers are invented to demonstrate how to read a chart. They do not describe a patient, establish a cause, or predict exactly which words or everyday sounds someone can hear.
Why there may be more than one set of marks
Tones played through headphones or insert earphones test air conduction: sound travels through the outer and middle ear to the inner ear.
For bone conduction, a small vibrating device sits behind the ear or on the forehead. It sends vibrations to the inner ear while bypassing the outer and middle ear. If this testing was performed, additional symbols may appear on the chart.
Comparing the two sets of results helps the audiologist distinguish different types of hearing loss. They interpret the pattern alongside your symptoms, history and other findings; the graph alone does not establish an exact medical cause.
Degree, type and pattern describe different things
Degree: the hearing levels recorded
Terms such as mild, moderate and severe describe the degree of hearing loss. The following is one commonly used classification. It also supplies the colour bands in our fictional example.
| Degree | Hearing level range (dB HL) |
|---|---|
| Normal | −10 to 15 |
| Slight | 16 to 25 |
| Mild | 26 to 40 |
| Moderate | 41 to 55 |
| Moderately severe | 56 to 70 |
| Severe | 71 to 90 |
| Profound | 91 and above |
Source: Degree of Hearing Loss, citing Clark, J. G. (1981), “Uses and abuses of hearing loss classification”, Asha, 23, 493–500.
Different professionals and classification systems use different cut-offs, including 15, 20 or 25 dB HL for the upper limit of “normal”. If another chart uses different ranges, ask which system it follows. Do not relabel your results using an online table.
Hearing levels may also differ across pitches and between ears, so one category is only part of the explanation.
Type: which part of hearing is affected
- Conductive hearing loss involves difficulty transmitting sound through the outer or middle ear.
- Sensorineural hearing loss involves the inner ear or auditory nerve.
- Mixed hearing loss has both conductive and sensorineural components.
Pattern: how the results vary
The shape, or configuration, shows how thresholds change across pitches. For example, a high-frequency pattern means hearing is poorer at higher pitches than at lower ones.
Other terms compare the ears: unilateral means one ear is affected and bilateral means both. Symmetrical results are similar between ears; asymmetrical results differ. These describe the findings without, by themselves, explaining their cause.
What an audiogram cannot explain on its own
Detecting test tones in quiet is different from following a conversation. Your audiogram is useful, but your account of listening at work, at home or in a busy café also matters.
Speech testing looks at how you hear or understand spoken material. Depending on the test, this may involve repeating words or sentences. Speech testing can be carried out in quiet or with background noise, so ask which conditions your results describe.
Tympanometry checks how the eardrum and middle ear respond to changes in air pressure. Its graph is called a tympanogram. It provides different information from the hearing thresholds on an audiogram.
The tests selected depend on your needs. Not every appointment includes every test, and the audiogram alone does not determine the support that will suit you.
Four questions worth asking about your results
- What do these results show for each ear, and which findings matter most for me?
- How do the results relate to the listening difficulties I notice? Would any other tests help explain them?
- If I have earlier results, is there a meaningful change or could differences reflect variation in testing?
- What next steps or communication strategies would you suggest for my work and everyday life?
Bring specific examples of situations you find difficult. Describing the conversation you struggle to follow can make the discussion more useful than focusing only on a category in a table.
Talk through your hearing results
Understanding the chart can help you ask questions and take part in decisions about your hearing care. For information about assessments at Stay Tuned Hearing, visit our Hearing Test & Assessment page. To enquire about an appointment in Mount Eliza, contact Stay Tuned Hearing.