Can You Hear Speech in Noise?
Take the Free Test
Measure your ability to understand speech in noisy environments. This clinically validated screening uses the Digits-in-Noise protocol and takes only 3-4 minutes.
Before You Begin
Browser Compatibility
Your browser may not fully support the Web Speech API for spoken digit playback. The test will fall back to visual digit display with background noise. For the best experience, use Google Chrome.
Why Speech-in-Noise Testing Matters
Most people who report hearing difficulty don't struggle to hear sounds in silence. Their real complaint is: "I can hear people talking, I just can't understand what they're saying when it's noisy." A standard hearing test (audiogram) measures the quietest tones you can detect in silence, but it misses this crucial dimension of hearing.
The Gap Between Hearing and Understanding
You can have a perfectly normal audiogram and still perform poorly on speech-in-noise tasks. This disconnect is well-documented in audiology and can be caused by:
- Hidden hearing loss (cochlear synaptopathy): damage to auditory nerve fibers that doesn't show on an audiogram but degrades temporal coding.
- Central auditory processing deficits: reduced ability to separate a target signal from competing sounds.
- Cognitive factors: working memory and attention contribute to speech-in-noise performance, especially in older adults.
How Tinnitus Affects Speech in Noise
Many tinnitus sufferers report difficulty hearing in noisy environments, even when their audiogram is normal or near-normal. Tinnitus occupies perceptual bandwidth -- the internal phantom sound competes with external signals much like physical background noise does. This test gives tinnitus sufferers a way to quantify a problem they experience daily but that a standard hearing test doesn't capture.
How This Test Works
This test uses the Digits-in-Noise (DIN) protocol, a clinically validated method used by national hearing screening programs around the world. You'll hear three digits spoken in background noise and enter what you heard. The test automatically adjusts the difficulty based on your responses, finding the precise noise level where you can understand speech 50% of the time. This level is called your Speech Reception Threshold (SRT).
Who Should Take This Test?
- Anyone who struggles to follow conversations in noisy environments
- People with tinnitus who want to understand how it affects their hearing
- Those whose standard hearing test came back normal despite perceived difficulty
- Anyone curious about their speech-in-noise hearing ability
Test Setup
Let's make sure everything is ready for an accurate test.
Put on Your Headphones
Make sure your headphones are on and connected. This test requires headphones for accurate results.
Adjust Your Volume
Click the button below to play a sample sound. Adjust your volume to a comfortable level. Do not change your volume during the test.
Quiet Environment
Make sure you are in a quiet room with no distractions.
Volume Check
Click to play a sample. Adjust your device volume to a comfortable level.
Enter the 3 digits you heard, then press OK.
Your Speech-in-Noise Score
What This Means
Age-Referenced Context
| Age Group | Expected SRT Range |
|---|---|
| 18-30 | -4 to +2 dB SNR |
| 31-50 | -2 to +4 dB SNR |
| 51-65 | 0 to +6 dB SNR |
| 65+ | +2 to +10 dB SNR |
These are approximate ranges based on published normative data and should be interpreted as general guidelines.
Recommendations
- Headphone quality: Over-ear headphones produce more reliable results than earbuds or speakers.
- Listening environment: Background noise in your room will affect your score.
- Device audio output: Different devices have different audio characteristics.
- Cognitive factors: Attention, fatigue, and working memory all affect speech-in-noise performance.
Tinnitus Can Make Hearing in Noise Harder
AudioNotch creates personalized sound therapy to help manage tinnitus symptoms. Based on your tinnitus frequency, notched sound therapy may help reduce the perceived loudness of your tinnitus over time.
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