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Rinne test
System: General & Eye–Ear Signs · All general & eye–ear signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
A vibrating tuning fork is compared by the patient at the ear (air conduction) and on the mastoid bone behind the ear (bone conduction); normally air conduction is heard longer and louder.
What a positive finding suggests
Air conduction exceeding bone conduction is normal or seen in sensorineural loss; bone conduction exceeding air conduction is associated with conductive hearing loss in that ear.
◈ Behind the name
Heinrich Adolf Rinne (1819–1868), German ear specialist.
Related signs — General & Eye–Ear Signs
Browse the R section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.