What "tone deaf" really means
Many people call themselves tone deaf because they find it hard to sing in tune. But singing is a skill of the voice as much as the ear, and most people who struggle to sing hear pitch perfectly well. Genuine tone deafness, called congenital amusia, means trouble perceiving pitch itself, such as not noticing a wrong note in a familiar tune. It affects only a small percentage of people.
How this test works
Part 1 plays pairs of notes and shrinks the gap each time you answer correctly, homing in on the smallest difference you can reliably hear, in cents (a semitone is 100 cents). Part 2 plays pairs of short melodies, some with one note changed, to check whether you notice melodic changes.
This is an informal online test, not a diagnosis. Results depend on headphones, noise and how alert you are.
Questions
Am I tone deaf?
Probably not: genuine tone deafness is rare. If you can hear when someone else sings a wrong note, your ear is likely fine. This test checks properly in about five minutes.
Am I tone deaf if I can't sing in tune?
Usually not. Most people who can't sing in tune hear pitch fine; they just haven't trained their voice to match it. Practice with feedback helps.
How common is tone deafness?
Genuine tone deafness (congenital amusia) is rare, affecting only a small percentage of people.
Can you fix being tone deaf?
Pitch hearing improves with practice for most people. Short daily ear training, like the free first stage of our course, is a good place to start.
Can tone deaf people learn to sing?
Yes, in most cases. Singing in tune is a vocal skill that improves with feedback and practice. See how to learn to sing in tune.
More free tools
Online tuner · Online metronome · BPM tapper · Interval ear training · Chord ear training · Vocal range test · Note frequency chart · Binaural beats generator · Frequency sweep generator · White, pink & brown noise · Tone generator · Perfect pitch test · Hearing test