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What does 880 Hz sound like?
880 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 880 Hz sound wave completes 880 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 1.14 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 39.0 cm (1.28 ft) long; in water it stretches to 1.68 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 880 Hz is almost exactly A5 (880 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 1,760 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 440 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 880 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 39.0 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 1.68 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 1.70 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 1.14 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 6.77 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 6.41 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 880 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 880 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 880 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Harp
- Flute
- Piccolo
- Clarinet (B♭, sounding)
- Oboe
- Trumpet (B♭, sounding)
- Mezzo-soprano voice
- Soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 880 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 880 Hz?
Yes. 880 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 880 Hz?
880 Hz is almost exactly A5, which is 880 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 880 Hz?
About 39.0 cm in air at 20 °C and 1.68 m in water.
Can dogs hear 880 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.