Short answer
You're probably not tone deaf. True tone deafness, called congenital amusia, affects roughly 1.5 to 4% of people (Dalla Bella et al., 2011). Many more people feel tone deaf because singing in tune is hard for them. That's usually a voice skill, not a hearing problem.
What this test checks
Tone deafness is about hearing pitch, so this test only asks you to listen. Each question plays two notes, and you say whether the second was higher or lower. It starts with big, easy steps. Each time you're right, the step gets smaller; when you miss one, it gets a little bigger again. After 18 questions it settles near the smallest change you can reliably hear.
That change is measured in cents. A semitone, the gap between two neighbouring keys on a piano, is 100 cents. Western melodies move in semitones and bigger steps, so being able to hear a semitone is the hearing a song needs.
What your result means
- Under about 50 cents. You hear changes far smaller than the steps in a melody. Your ears are not what's holding your singing back.
- Around 50 to 120 cents. You hear about a semitone. That's enough to follow a tune, and many people get finer on a second go with headphones.
- Bigger than that. Small changes were hard today. Speakers, a noisy room or tiredness all play a part. Try again with headphones before reading much into it.
People with true amusia have trouble hearing fine changes in pitch, including which way a note moved (Foxton et al., 2004). If you could tell up from down for steps smaller than a semitone, the problem is unlikely to be your ears.
Most people who "can't sing" hear just fine
Hearing pitch and matching it with your voice are two different skills. In one study, about 10 to 15% of people sang notes back at least a semitone off, yet told pitches apart as well as the accurate singers. The researchers called it a "mismapping" of pitch onto the voice (Pfordresher and Brown, 2007). That kind of mismatch responds to practice, especially practice that shows you your pitch as you sing.
Now check your voice
Sing back five notes and see how close you land. About a minute, and nothing is recorded.
Want the longer story? Read Am I tone deaf? Probably not, and here's why.
Questions
How do I know if I'm tone deaf?
Tone deafness is about hearing, not singing. A listening test like this one checks whether you can tell which way the pitch moved between two notes. If you can hear changes of a semitone or smaller, the gap between two neighbouring piano keys, true tone deafness is unlikely. Only a proper assessment can diagnose it.
How common is tone deafness?
True tone deafness, called congenital amusia, is rare: roughly 1.5 to 4% of people, depending on the study. Far more people sing off-key, and most of them hear pitch perfectly well.
I can't sing in tune. Doesn't that mean I'm tone deaf?
Usually not. Hearing pitch and matching it with your voice are separate skills. In one study about 10 to 15% of people sang notes back at least a semitone off, yet told pitches apart as well as accurate singers. Matching pitch with your voice responds to practice.
Does this test use my microphone?
No. It only plays notes through your speakers or headphones. Your answers stay in your browser tab and aren't saved or sent anywhere.
Is this a medical test?
No. It's a quick, friendly listening check, not a hearing test or a diagnosis. If you're worried about your hearing, an audiologist is the right person to ask.
This test isn't a hearing test, a diagnosis or medical advice. Last reviewed October 2026.