Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Hearing Tests with a Tuning Fork

Definition

A tuning fork is a metal instrument with a handle and two prongs or tines. Tuning forks, made of steel, aluminum, or magnesium-alloy will vibrate at a set frequency to produce a musical tone when struck. The vibrations produced can be used to assess a person's ability to hear various sound frequencies.

Purpose

A vibrating tuning fork held next to the ear or placed against the skull will stimulate the inner ear to vibrate, and can help determine if there is hearing loss.

Precautions

No special precautions are necessary when tuning forks are used to conduct a hearing test.

Description

Two types of hearing tests with tuning forks are typically conducted. In the Rinne test, the vibrating tuning fork is held against the skull, usually on the bone behind the ear (mastoid process) to cause vibrations through...