Tinnitus frequency matching: find the Hz of your tinnitus tone

How this is calculated

Tinnitus is a phantom sound generated by the auditory system, usually a pure-ish tone or a narrow band of noise. Most tonal tinnitus falls between 4 kHz and 12 kHz, but it varies widely. To match yours, start at 8 kHz and adjust the frequency in small steps until the tone blends with your tinnitus. If the pitch feels lower, sweep down toward 4 kHz. If higher, sweep up toward 12 kHz. Once you've matched, write the number down. Two practical notes: tinnitus often changes in pitch day to day, so match a few times before drawing conclusions. And matching is the start of the work, not the cure - a matched tone is useful for masking therapy and for clinicians, but listening to it for long periods can temporarily aggravate the tinnitus for some people.

Verdict

Tinnitus frequency matching gives you a number to discuss with a clinician and a target for masking therapy. It's a useful first step, not a treatment. Match on a quiet day, repeat over a few sessions since tinnitus pitch can drift, and bring the number to a hearing care professional.