What is the threshold of hearing?

The threshold of hearing refers specifically to the lowest level of sound that a person can detect at least 50% of the time. This concept is crucial in audiology as it forms the baseline against which hearing sensitivity is measured. It is often used to determine an individual's hearing ability during assessment tests, such as pure-tone audiometry. Understanding this threshold helps identify hearing loss and develop appropriate interventions.

The other options do not accurately represent the threshold of hearing. For example, the highest level of sound a person can hear pertains more to the concept of sound limits or thresholds of discomfort, while the level heard at least 90% of the time refers to a different measure of hearing sensitivity. Lastly, the average sound level in a typical conversation pertains to speech intelligibility and loudness rather than the specific measurement that defines the threshold of hearing.