Why can I hear some quiet environmental sounds but speech is hard to hear/understand?

Written by:
Written by:
June 18, 2025

Speech is made up of many complex sounds, whereas environmental sounds are usually one or two more simple sounds. The brain has to work harder to process speech sounds. If someone has hearing loss, it makes it a lot harder for the brain to process speech sounds as it’s missing some of the information, and sometimes it has to guess or try and fill in the gaps. If you are finding it difficult to hear or understand speech, book an Ear360 appointment to find out why.

Up Next
How often do I need to get my ears cleared of wax?
Written by:
Why is it hard to hear people with accents?
Read article
Aural Fullness and Ear Blockage: When Your Ear Feels “Plugged Up
Read article
How is your mental and cognitive fitness connected to your hearing health?
Read article
How do I know if I've got hearing problems?
Read article
My father-in-law can’t hear very well and won’t have a hearing test or wear hearing aids. What can we as a family do?
Read article
I can hear people when it's quiet but not when it's noisy. Why?
Read article
What should I expect during my Ear360 appointment?
Read article
What benefits are there for treating my hearing loss?
Read article
The T.V. is up loud at my parent's place. What can I do?
Read article
What is Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL)?
Read article
I know I have a hearing loss but it’s mild, should I wait till it gets worse before addressing it?
Read article
I can hear people when it's quiet but not when it's noisy. Why?
Read article
Why does it sound like people are mumbling?
Read article
My father-in-law can’t hear very well and won’t have a hearing test or wear hearing aids. What can we as a family do?
Read article
What is Hyperacusis?
Read article
Why can I hear some quiet environmental sounds but speech is hard to hear/understand?
Read article
Is there such a thing as being too old to start hearing treatment?
Read article

Why can I hear some quiet environmental sounds but speech is hard to hear/understand?

Written by:
Reviewed by:
Blog length:
 min read
Published:
April 17, 2023
Summary
No items found.
Summary
No items found.
Share this post
Audiologist