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Free Online Hearing Test
Find out in about 2 minutes how well you follow conversation in background noise. It’s free and private, and there’s nothing to download.
Online hearing test by
Robert Cousins, Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist
Robert Cousins, Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist
Take the 2-minute hearing test
Hearing loss often shows up first as trouble following conversation in noisy places, like a busy restaurant. In this 2-minute test you'll hear 6 short sentences. The voice stays the same, but each round adds more people talking in the background, from two people nearby to a packed, loud room. After each sentence, pick the one you heard.
- Use headphones or earbuds if you can.
- Find a quiet room.
- If you wear hearing aids, take them out.
Please note: This online hearing test is a screening only. It does not replace a professional hearing evaluation and is not a medical diagnosis. Your answers stay on your device. Nothing you enter is saved or sent.
Set a comfortable volume
Put your headphones on and press Play sample. Adjust until the voice sounds about as loud as normal conversation. Then leave the volume alone for the rest of the test.
Quick headphone check
Press Play. Which side did you hear the sound on?
That didn't match the side we played. Your earbuds may be in the wrong ears, or one side may not be connected. If one ear is hard to hear with, that's worth a free hearing test.
Using speakers?
Hearing test in progress
Sentence 1 of 6
Background noise: level 1 of 6
Get ready…
Which sentence did you hear?
Your result
Don't wait on this. Most people live with hearing loss for years before they get help, and research shows that waiting has real costs:
- Dementia and Alzheimer's: studies link untreated hearing loss to a higher risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. In a Johns Hopkins study, people with mild hearing loss were about twice as likely to develop dementia, and people with severe hearing loss about five times as likely.
- A 2024 report in The Lancet found that hearing loss is tied for the biggest risk factor for dementia that people can do something about.
- Hearing loss is also linked to depression, loneliness, a higher risk of falls, and the exhaustion of straining to follow every conversation.
There's good news: in a 2023 study, older adults at higher risk of memory decline who got hearing aids and hearing care had nearly 50% slower decline in thinking skills over three years. The sooner hearing loss is found, the more you can protect.
Book your free hearing test this week so you know exactly where you stand.
Sources: Lin et al., Archives of Neurology, 2011; Livingston et al., The Lancet Commission on dementia, 2024; Lin et al., ACHIEVE study, The Lancet, 2023; Lin & Ferrucci, Archives of Internal Medicine, 2012.
The best way to know for sure is a full hearing test. Hear4U's hearing tests are free in our Diamond Bar office and take about 45 minutes to an hour and a half.
Questions about your result? Robert is happy to talk it through.
Please note: This online hearing test does not replace a professional hearing evaluation and is not a medical diagnosis. It only checks how well you follow speech in background noise. It can't measure hearing at each pitch or find the cause of a hearing problem. If you have sudden hearing loss, ear pain, or dizziness, see a doctor right away.
How the online hearing test works
6 short sentences
You hear one sentence at a time and pick the one you heard from a short list.
Noise gets louder
Each round adds more people talking in the background, like a restaurant filling up.
Instant result
See how you did right away, then book a free hearing test in Diamond Bar if you’d like a full answer.
Online hearing test FAQs
Is an online hearing test accurate?
It’s a quick screening. It shows whether you have trouble following speech in background noise, which is often one of the first signs of hearing loss. Results depend on your headphones, volume and room, so it can’t replace a professional hearing evaluation.
Do I need headphones?
Headphones or earbuds give the most reliable result. Speakers work too, but the result is less accurate.
What happens at a free hearing test at Hear4U?
Robert Cousins, a licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist, checks your hearing with pure-tone, speech, speech-in-noise (QuickSIN) and bone conduction testing, then explains the results in plain language. The visit takes about 45 minutes to an hour and a half at our Diamond Bar office.
Is my information saved?
No. Your answers stay on your device, and nothing you enter is saved or sent.
I already wear hearing aids and still struggle in noise. What should I do?
Your hearing aids may need adjusting. Hear4U checks every fitting with Real Ear Measurement and services many hearing aids bought elsewhere.
Want a complete answer?
Book a free hearing test with Robert Cousins at our Diamond Bar office.