hörbar

Hörbar is a Swedish adjective meaning able to be heard, i.e., audible. It is used to describe sounds, signals, or noises that can be perceived by the human ear. The term is commonly found in everyday language as well as technical contexts where the distinction between audible and inaudible matters.

In technical and scientific usage, hörbar refers to the range and qualities of sounds that fall within human perception. In acoustics and audio engineering, discussions may focus on whether a sound is hörbart, its pitch, loudness, timbre, and whether it lies within the typical audible frequency range (roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, though this varies by listener).

Etymology and related terms. Hörbar is formed from the verb höra (to hear) with the Swedish suffix -bar, which denotes capability. The word has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as German hörbar, which shares the same meaning. The related noun hörbarhet or audibility denotes the quality or degree of being audible.

See also. Hörsel and hearing-related terms in Swedish, such as hörsel (the sense of hearing) and hög- or lågtoner in discussions of audible versus inaudible sounds. In broader discussion, hörbar is often contrasted with inaudible or sub-audible sounds.