Audiogram Review
By Dan McCoy, Audiology Industry Professional · Updated June 2026
Already have results? Understand them before your next appointment. You got a hearing test at a clinic — the audiologist handed you a graph full of numbers, letters, and lines. Upload it and get a plain-English explanation of exactly what it means, before you go back or make any decisions.
Free account - no credit card required. Your image is never stored.
Personal use only. Your audiogram image is sent to a third-party AI service (Anthropic) for analysis and is not stored after processing. Healthcare providers should not use this tool to process patient audiograms.
The Basics
What is an Audiogram?
An audiogram is a chart produced during a clinical hearing test that plots your hearing threshold — the quietest sound you can detect — at multiple frequencies. It shows how much hearing loss you have and which pitches are most affected.
An audiogram looks intimidating but follows a straightforward logic. Once you understand the two axes and what the symbols mean, the picture becomes clear.
The horizontal axis: frequency
Frequency (pitch) runs left to right, measured in hertz (Hz). Low frequencies like 250 Hz are on the left — think bass voices. High frequencies like 8,000 Hz are on the right — think birds or doorbells.
The vertical axis: volume
Volume runs top to bottom, measured in decibels (dB HL). Quieter sounds are near the top. The lower a dot sits on the chart, the louder a sound needs to be before you can detect it — meaning more hearing loss at that pitch.
The O and X symbols
O (circle) represents the right ear. X represents the left ear. Each is tested separately so the audiologist can see if one ear performs differently than the other.
The speech banana
Most of the sounds in human speech fall in the 500-4,000 Hz range at 20-60 dB (ASHA). If your thresholds fall within this zone, you can follow conversations clearly. If your thresholds fall below it, you are likely missing parts of speech.
What the Numbers Mean
Audiologists classify hearing loss by how loud a sound needs to be before you can detect it — your hearing threshold. The higher the threshold, the greater the hearing loss at that frequency. The classifications below follow standards established by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).
Normal
0 - 25 dB
You can detect sounds at normal conversational volumes across all key frequencies. No hearing loss is indicated.
Mild
26 - 40 dB
You may miss quiet speech and struggle in noisy environments. Many people with mild loss do not realize it because they compensate by lipreading or asking people to repeat themselves.
Moderate
41 - 55 dB
You regularly miss conversational speech, especially in noise. Most people at this level benefit significantly from hearing aids.
Moderately Severe
56 - 70 dB
Conversation is difficult without amplification. Hearing aids are typically recommended, and a professional fitting is important at this level.
Severe
71 - 90 dB
You can hear very loud sounds but miss most speech without hearing aids. May also benefit from assistive listening devices.
Profound
91 dB+
Very little or no usable hearing at that frequency. Cochlear implants may be considered in addition to or instead of conventional hearing aids.
How It Works
Take a photo of your audiogram
Use your phone camera to photograph the audiogram chart from your audiologist or clinic printout.
Upload it to LSTN
Log in to your free LSTN account and upload the photo. The AI reads the chart automatically.
Read your plain-English explanation
LSTN describes what your specific thresholds mean — which frequencies are affected, what degree of loss, and what that means for your everyday hearing.
Common Questions
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