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What does 440 Hz sound like?
440 Hz is a low midrange frequency. It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
A 440 Hz sound wave completes 440 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.27 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 78.0 cm (2.56 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.37 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 440 Hz is almost exactly A4 (440 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 880 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 220 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 440 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 78.0 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.37 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.41 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.29 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 13.55 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 12.82 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 440 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 440 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Chinchillas, Elephants, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Cannot hear it
Instruments and voices that can play 440 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Harp
- Flute
- Clarinet (B♭, sounding)
- Oboe
- Bassoon
- Alto saxophone (sounding)
- Tenor saxophone (sounding)
- Trumpet (B♭, sounding)
- French horn (sounding)
- Trombone
- Baritone voice
- Tenor voice
- Alto voice
- Mezzo-soprano voice
- Soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 440 Hz sound like?
It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
Can humans hear 440 Hz?
Yes. 440 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 440 Hz?
440 Hz is almost exactly A4, which is 440 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 440 Hz?
About 78.0 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.37 m in water.
Can dogs hear 440 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.