What this check can do
- Help you notice everyday signs that are easy to brush aside
- Give you a simple next step based on your answers
Online hearing check
Answer 5 short questions about everyday listening. It takes about 2 minutes. This is not a hearing test and it cannot measure your hearing. It helps you decide whether to book one.
You see your result before you are asked for any details. Sharing them is up to you.
What an online hearing test can and cannot do
Some online hearing tests play beeps through your phone or earphones. Their results change with the device and the noise around you, so treat them as a rough guide only. Our check plays no sounds. It asks how you hear in daily life.
What it cannot do
- Measure how well you hear
- Tell the type or degree of any hearing loss
- Tell whether one ear hears less than the other
- Decide whether you need a hearing aid
Only a hearing test in a quiet room, with properly set up equipment, can show how well you hear. Use this check as a first step, not as an answer.
What the check asks about
For each question you answer no, sometimes or yes.
- Do you often ask people to repeat what they said?
- Is it hard to follow conversations in noisy places, like restaurants, family gatherings, traffic or crowded rooms?
- Do people around you seem to speak unclearly or mumble?
- Do you keep the TV, mobile or speaker louder than others like?
- Do you notice ringing, buzzing, whistling, a blocked feeling or reduced hearing in one or both ears?
Then there is one safety question: did your hearing problem start suddenly, or does it come with severe ear pain, ear discharge, dizziness or a recent head or ear injury?
What your result means
Your answers are added up. The more often these things happen to you, the more signs the check shows. You get one of four results.
Low indication
Your answers do not show many signs of hearing difficulty right now. If you still feel your hearing has changed, a hearing test is the way to know.
Moderate indication
Your answers show some signs that can come with hearing difficulty in daily life. This does not confirm hearing loss. A hearing test is recommended.
High indication
Your answers show several signs that are often linked with hearing difficulty. It is not a diagnosis, but it is a good reason to book a full hearing test soon.
Medical attention recommended
If you answer yes to the safety question, the check shows this result whatever your other answers were. Please speak to a doctor as soon as you can.
After your result you can share your name, phone number and city if you want a call back about a hearing test. This step is optional.
What a hearing test at a clinic involves
A hearing test is simple and does not hurt. The exact steps depend on your age, your symptoms and what the first checks show.
A talk about your hearing
You talk about when you noticed a change, which ear, and which situations feel hardest.
An ear check
The ear is checked for wax, infection or discharge. Some of these need a doctor rather than a hearing aid.
Pure tone audiometry
You wear headphones in a quiet room and respond to beeps. This finds the softest sounds you hear at different pitches, in each ear.
Speech testing
You repeat words back. This shows how clearly you understand speech, not just whether you hear sound.
Your results, explained
Your results are shown on a graph called an audiogram and explained in plain words, with the next step.
A hearing test does not mean you will need a hearing aid. Some people only need monitoring or advice, and some need to see an ENT doctor first.
Signs worth getting checked
Hearing often changes slowly, so family may notice first. If several of these sound familiar, book a hearing test.
You often ask people to repeat themselves
Group conversations or noisy places feel tiring
Speech sounds muffled, even when it is loud enough
You miss words on phone calls
One ear seems to hear better than the other
You avoid conversations because listening takes effort
See a doctor urgently, and do not rely on an online check, if your hearing drops suddenly in one or both ears, or if hearing changes come with severe ear pain, ear discharge, dizziness or a recent head or ear injury. Sudden hearing loss should be checked by a doctor as soon as possible.
Book a hearing test near you
Sound for Life has 39 clinics across India. Book a hearing test, or take the online check first if you are not sure.
Questions about the online hearing test
Is an online hearing test accurate?
An online hearing test cannot measure your hearing the way a clinic test can. Our check asks about everyday situations instead of playing sounds, so it can point to signs worth checking and nothing more.
Can an online hearing test replace a hearing test at a clinic?
No. It can help you decide whether to book a hearing test. It cannot tell the type or degree of hearing loss, and it cannot tell whether a hearing aid may help.
How long does the online hearing check take?
About 2 minutes. There are 5 questions about everyday listening and 1 safety question.
Do I have to share my phone number to see my result?
No. You see your result first. After that, you can choose to share your name, phone number and city if you would like a call back about a hearing test.
My result was low, but I still feel my hearing has changed. What should I do?
Trust that feeling and book a hearing test. A short online check can miss changes that you notice in your own daily life.
What if my hearing changed suddenly?
Do not wait or rely on an online check. Sudden hearing loss, severe ear pain, ear discharge, dizziness or a recent head or ear injury should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.