How does hearing actually work?

The journey from the ear to the brain shapes how we hear and interpret sound. On this page, we’ll guide you through this fascinating process—exploring how hearing truly works. Only when sound travels smoothly from the outer ear to the brain can it be recognized as speech, music, a ringing phone, or any other everyday sound. That’s why healthy, well-functioning ears are essential—not just for hearing, but for understanding, responding, and staying connected to life around you.

A journey through the ear

Sounds are waves. They are collected by the 1) concha and directed through the 2) auditory canal to the 3) eardrum. The eardrum begins to vibrate and thus transmits the sound waves to the small bones in the 4) middle ear. A membrane transfers the vibrations on to the 5) cochlea. Hair sensory cells are set into motion there and the sound waves are converted into nerve impulses. Finally the 6) auditory nerve sends the impulses to the brain where they are perceived as sounds and deciphered.

Did you know?

The first signs of a slowly diminishing hearing ability can be challenging to identify. This is why many people either fail to notice or hardly notice the initial signs of decreased hearing over long periods and therefore ignore them. Hearing experts recommend having hearing ability checked when initial signs appear. Pay attention to your ears— the earlier, the better. Read more about how to avoid hearing loss here.