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What does 15,500 Hz sound like?
15,500 Hz is a brilliance (air) frequency. It is a very high, thin, whistling tone. Sensitivity in this region falls with age, so younger listeners hear it much more clearly than older ones.
A 15,500 Hz sound wave completes 15,500 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 64.5 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 2.2 cm (0.87 in) long; in water it stretches to 9.6 cm because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Hearing at these frequencies declines steadily with age (presbycusis) and with noise exposure. If you cannot hear this tone, check that your headphones can reproduce it before drawing conclusions – and try our hearing test for a playful estimate.
Wavelength of 15,500 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 2.2 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 9.6 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 9.7 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 6.5 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 38.5 cm |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 36.4 cm |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 15,500 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
| Harmonic | Frequency | Nearest note |
|---|---|---|
| 1× (fundamental) | 15.5 kHz | – |
| 2× | 31 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 3× | 46.5 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 4× | 62 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 5× | 77.5 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 6× | 93 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 7× | 108.5 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 8× | 124 kHz | ultrasonic |
Which animals can hear 15,500 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Opossums, Chinchillas, Bats, Beluga whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Greater wax moths
Cannot hear it
Elephants, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Frequently asked questions
What does 15,500 Hz sound like?
It is a very high, thin, whistling tone. Sensitivity in this region falls with age, so younger listeners hear it much more clearly than older ones.
Can humans hear 15,500 Hz?
Yes. 15,500 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, although many adults lose sensitivity above about 15 kHz.
What musical note is 15,500 Hz?
15,500 Hz is outside the range normally used for musical notes.
What is the wavelength of 15,500 Hz?
About 2.2 cm in air at 20 °C and 9.6 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 15,500 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.