What’s it Like to Have Hearing Loss?
Try our hearing loss simulator to better understand what your family member, friend or colleague may be experiencing. This simulator enables you to listen to common sounds in a variety of environments, first with normal hearing and then with simulated levels of hearing loss.
Hearing Loss Simulator
Select speech type or scene, and hearing loss level:
People with normal hearing have no difficulty hearing and understanding speech, regardless of the environment or distance from the sound source. Speech sounds appearing above the dotted line are inaudible. Severe hearing loss may exclude 100% of conversational speech.
People with mild hearing loss have difficulty hearing soft consonant sounds making words seem incomplete. Noisy environments make hearing more challenging. Speech sounds appearing above the dotted line are inaudible. Severe hearing loss may exclude 100% of conversational speech.
For people with moderate hearing loss, hard and soft consonant sounds become inaudible and speech becomes difficult to understand, particularly with background noise. Speech sounds appearing above the dotted line are inaudible. Severe hearing loss may exclude 100% of conversational speech.
For people with severe hearing loss, some loud sounds are audible, but communication without a hearing instrument is impossible. Speech sounds appearing above the dotted line are inaudible. Severe hearing loss may exclude 100% of conversational speech.
Press the play button to hear the sample:
For best results: Use desktop speakers or headphones and set the volume level of your computer to a comfortable level. Play test sound