When using manual pure tone audiometry, which frequencies should be tested?

Testing the frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz during manual pure tone audiometry is standard practice for assessing an individual's hearing ability. These specific frequencies are chosen because they correspond to the range of human speech and are critical in diagnosing hearing loss in both the low and high-frequency areas of hearing.

500 Hz represents a low-frequency sound that is often significant in understanding speech, while the frequencies up to 2000 Hz are essential for capturing the clarity of speech sounds. High-frequency testing, including 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz, is also vital as these frequencies can reveal information about the individual's ability to hear consonants and understanding speech in noisy environments, making them important for overall communication ability and detecting high-frequency hearing loss—often associated with age or noise exposure.

The inclusion of 3000 and 6000 Hz also allows for a more comprehensive assessment of hearing sensitivity within the phonetic range important for speech understanding. This frequency range helps to ensure that audiologists can detect audiometric configurations that may indicate different types of auditory disorders.

Other options either do not include all relevant frequencies or feature frequencies