Start with your device volume low. Very low tones may be inaudible on phone or laptop speakers; very high tones can be uncomfortable on headphones.
What does 16,600 Hz sound like?
16,600 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 16,600 Hz sound wave completes 16,600 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 60.2 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 2.1 cm (0.81 in) long; in water it stretches to 8.9 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 16,600 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 2.1 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 8.9 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 9.0 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 6.1 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 35.9 cm |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 34.0 cm |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 16,600 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) | 16.6 kHz | – |
| 2× | 33.2 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 3× | 49.8 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 4× | 66.4 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 5× | 83 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 6× | 99.6 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 7× | 116.2 kHz | ultrasonic |
| 8× | 132.8 kHz | ultrasonic |
Which animals can hear 16,600 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 16,600 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 16,600 Hz?
Yes. 16,600 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 16,600 Hz?
16,600 Hz is outside the range normally used for musical notes.
What is the wavelength of 16,600 Hz?
About 2.1 cm in air at 20 °C and 8.9 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 16,600 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.