audiology

Audiometry


The measurement of hearing ability, usually with the aid of an audiometer.

See: Audiogram, Hearing Level.

Some aspects of audiometry concern an individual's sensitivity (see threshold of hearing) or tolerance (see threshold of pain); others determine discrimination levels (see differential threshold), the ability to distinguish speech from background noise (see cocktail party effect), or the ability to recognize pitch. In general, audiometry can measure the results of some types of hearing loss.

Compare: Audiology, Otology.