What does audiometer mean?
An audiometer is a specialized instrument used to measure a person's hearing. It can determine the faintest sound a listener can detect at different frequencies, helping audiologists assess hearing sensitivity and identify patterns associated with hearing loss. The word is especially common in clinical, medical, occupational, and educational settings, where hearing examinations are conducted with calibrated equipment. Although audiometer names the device itself, the related term audiometry refers to the broader process or practice of measuring hearing. The word is recognizable through its connection with other measuring instruments ending in “-meter,” such as thermometer and barometer, but its first element specifically points to hearing: it derives from the Latin audire, “to hear.”
nounAn audiometer is an instrument used to measure hearing ability, especially the threshold and intensity of sounds that a person can detect. It is used in audiology, hearing assessments, and the diagnosis of hearing loss.
- An instrument for measuring the acuity, threshold, or range of a person's hearing.
"The audiometer showed that the patient could hear low-frequency sounds only at a higher intensity."
"The technician calibrated the audiometer before conducting the hearing examination."
"Results from the audiometer indicated a significant reduction in high-frequency hearing."
The plural is used when referring to multiple hearing-testing instruments.
"The clinic has several audiometers for different types of hearing assessments."
An audiometer turns the invisible threshold of hearing into a measurable number.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of audiometer
Audiometer combines Latin audire, meaning “to hear,” with the measuring element -meter, which ultimately comes from Greek metron, “measure.” The compound developed as a term for an instrument that quantitatively assessed hearing. Its meaning reflects the growing importance of precise acoustic measurement in medicine and scientific study during the modern period. Other English words such as auditory, audible, audience, and audition share the same Latin hearing root.
How audiometer is actually used
The term is formal and technical, used primarily in audiology, medicine, occupational health, and hearing testing. It refers specifically to the instrument, not to the overall test or the field of audiometry.
Easily confused with audiometer
An audiometer is the instrument used to measure hearing, whereas audiometry is the process or field of hearing measurement.