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What does 697 Hz sound like?
697 Hz is a midrange frequency. It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.
A 697 Hz sound wave completes 697 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 1.43 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 49.2 cm (1.61 ft) long; in water it stretches to 2.12 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 697 Hz is almost exactly F5 (698.46 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 1,394 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 348.5 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 697 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 49.2 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 2.12 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 2.15 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 1.44 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 8.55 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 8.09 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 697 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
| Harmonic | Frequency | Nearest note |
|---|---|---|
| 1× (fundamental) | 697 Hz | F5 |
| 2× | 1.394 kHz | F6 |
| 3× | 2.091 kHz | C7 |
| 4× | 2.788 kHz | F7 |
| 5× | 3.485 kHz | A7 |
| 6× | 4.182 kHz | C8 |
| 7× | 4.879 kHz | D♯8 |
| 8× | 5.576 kHz | F8 |
Which animals can hear 697 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Opossums, 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 697 Hz
Frequently asked questions
What does 697 Hz sound like?
It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.
Can humans hear 697 Hz?
Yes. 697 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 697 Hz?
697 Hz is almost exactly F5, which is 698.46 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 697 Hz?
About 49.2 cm in air at 20 °C and 2.12 m in water.
Can dogs hear 697 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.