Air vs. Bone Conduction
When you hear something, your ears are actually using two different pathways to detect sound: air conduction and bone conduction. These two routes help us hear clearly — and play a crucial role in diagnosing types of hearing loss.
What Is Air Conduction?
Air conduction is the primary way we hear. It works like this:
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Sound waves travel through the air and enter your outer ear.
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They pass down the ear canal, vibrating the eardrum.
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These vibrations are transferred through the middle ear bones (malleus, incus, stapes).
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The motion reaches the inner ear (cochlea), where it’s converted into electrical signals.
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These signals travel via the auditory nerve to your brain.
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👂 When we use headphones, listen to music, or hear someone speak, we’re using air conduction.
What Is Bone Conduction?
Bone conduction is a secondary pathway for sound:
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Vibrations bypass the outer and middle ear entirely.
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Instead, sound is delivered directly to the cochlea via the bones of the skull.
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These bone vibrations still activate the inner ear — just from a different route.​
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We use bone conduction all the time without realizing it — like when we hear our own voice (which sounds deeper to us) or feel a tuning fork vibrate near the skull.
🧪 Why It Matters in Hearing Tests
Hearing care professionals like us use both air and bone conduction tests to pinpoint where hearing loss is happening:
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If air conduction is affected but bone conduction is normal → it may indicate a conductive hearing loss (like wax buildup or fluid in the middle ear).
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If both are affected → it often points to sensorineural hearing loss (like age-related or noise-induced hearing loss).
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If bone conduction results are actually better than air conduction — that’s known as an air-bone gap, and it can provide diagnostic clues.
💡 Did You Know?
Bone conduction is so reliable, it's used in underwater military communication, cochlear implants, and even specialty headphones that leave your ears open — ideal for runners, cyclists, and those with certain types of hearing loss.