Hz to kHz Converter
Convert hertz to kilohertz (Hz to kHz) for audio, radio and electronics
1 Hz = 0.001 kHz, and 1 kHz = 1,000 Hz. To convert Hz to kHz, divide the hertz value by 1,000. For example, 44,100 Hz = 44.1 kHz.
Hertz to Kilohertz converter
Live- 6.2831853 rad/s
- 60 rpm
- 0.000001 MHz
- 1.000000e-9 GHz
How to convert hertz to kilohertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second. The prefix kilo means 1,000, so one kilohertz is 1,000 cycles every second. Converting Hz to kHz is a single division by 1,000, which is the same as moving the decimal point three places to the left: 2,500 Hz is 2.5 kHz and 440 Hz is 0.44 kHz. For megahertz, gigahertz, rpm and radians per second, the frequency converter shows every unit at once.
Unlike computer memory, frequency never uses a 1,024 step; SI prefixes are always exact powers of ten. The only thing to watch is the symbol. The kilo prefix is a lowercase k and hertz takes a capital H, so the correct form is kHz, not KHz or khz. Above the kilohertz range, the MHz to GHz converter continues the ladder.
Step by step
- Take the frequency in hertz (Hz).
- Divide it by 1,000.
- Write the result in kilohertz (kHz), with a lowercase k.
- To go back, multiply kHz by 1,000.
See it on a scale
Worked examples
Three frequencies from audio work: concert pitch A4, the upper limit of human hearing, and the CD sample rate.
440 Hz ÷ 1,000 = 0.44 kHz
= 0.44 kHz
20,000 Hz ÷ 1,000 = 20 kHz
= 20 kHz
44,100 Hz ÷ 1,000 = 44.1 kHz
= 44.1 kHz
How do I convert Hz to kHz in Excel or Google Sheets?
Put the hertz value in cell A2 and enter =A2/1000 in the next cell to get kilohertz; the same formula works unchanged in Google Sheets.
A few variations cover most worksheets:
- Back to hertz: =A2*1000 turns a kHz column into Hz.
- Fixed decimals: =ROUND(A2/1000,3) keeps three decimal places, which is exactly one-hertz resolution, so 22,050 Hz stays 22.05 kHz.
- With a unit label: =A2/1000&" kHz" returns text such as “44.1 kHz”. Keep a plain numeric column as well if you need to sum, sort or chart the values.
- Straight to megahertz: =A2/1000000 converts hertz to MHz in one step.
Because the factor is exactly 1,000, a spreadsheet result is as precise as the number you type in. Rounding only matters for display, so apply it in the last step rather than in intermediate columns.
How can I convert Hz to kHz in my head?
Move the decimal point three places to the left: 2,500 Hz becomes 2.5 kHz and 125 Hz becomes 0.125 kHz, with no rounding error because the factor is exactly 1,000.
When the number has fewer than four digits, pad it with zeros on the left first. Written as 060 Hz, a 60 Hz hum becomes 0.06 kHz after the shift, and 5 Hz (005) becomes 0.005 kHz.
Two quick checks catch most slips:
- For the same frequency, the kHz figure is always the smaller number.
- Every block of 1,000 Hz is one whole kHz, so anything from 3,000 to 3,999 Hz must land between 3 and 3.999 kHz.
The same three-place shift repeats up the SI ladder: kHz to MHz and MHz to GHz each move the decimal three more places to the left.
What does 20 Hz–20 kHz mean on headphones or speakers?
It is the frequency response: the device reproduces tones from 20 Hz (0.02 kHz) up to 20 kHz (20,000 Hz), the textbook range of human hearing.
That span is a 1,000-to-1 ratio. Doubling 20 Hz ten times reaches 20,480 Hz, so the range covers just under ten octaves (log₂ 1,000 = 9.97), from deep bass to the top of what young ears can detect.
Two details matter when you compare spec sheets:
- Tolerance. A response quoted as 20 Hz–20 kHz ±3 dB means the output stays within 3 decibels of its reference level across that range. Without a tolerance, the figures only say the device makes some sound at those frequencies.
- Numbers beyond hearing. Ratings such as 5 Hz–40 kHz say how far the output extends, but nobody hears 40 kHz, and the figure says nothing about how even the response is inside the audible band.
Hz to kHz conversion chart
Frequencies from mains hum to high-resolution sample rates, converted from hertz to kilohertz. The values are exact because the factor is exactly 1,000.
| Hertz (Hz) | Kilohertz (kHz) |
|---|---|
| 1 Hz | 0.001 kHz |
| 10 Hz | 0.01 kHz |
| 20 Hz | 0.02 kHz |
| 50 Hz | 0.05 kHz |
| 60 Hz | 0.06 kHz |
| 100 Hz | 0.1 kHz |
| 250 Hz | 0.25 kHz |
| 440 Hz | 0.44 kHz |
| 500 Hz | 0.5 kHz |
| 1,000 Hz | 1 kHz |
| 1,500 Hz | 1.5 kHz |
| 2,000 Hz | 2 kHz |
| 2,500 Hz | 2.5 kHz |
| 3,000 Hz | 3 kHz |
| 4,000 Hz | 4 kHz |
| 5,000 Hz | 5 kHz |
| 8,000 Hz | 8 kHz |
| 10,000 Hz | 10 kHz |
| 12,000 Hz | 12 kHz |
| 15,000 Hz | 15 kHz |
| 16,000 Hz | 16 kHz |
| 20,000 Hz | 20 kHz |
| 22,050 Hz | 22.05 kHz |
| 24,000 Hz | 24 kHz |
| 32,000 Hz | 32 kHz |
| 44,100 Hz | 44.1 kHz |
| 48,000 Hz | 48 kHz |
| 96,000 Hz | 96 kHz |
| 192,000 Hz | 192 kHz |
Hertz vs kilohertz: what is the difference?
Hertz and kilohertz measure the same quantity on scales exactly 1,000 times apart. The kilohertz is the hertz with the SI prefix kilo, so choosing between them is a matter of readability.
| Attribute | Hertz | Kilohertz |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Hz | kHz |
| System | SI derived unit | SI |
| Defined as | 1 cycle per second | 1,000 Hz |
| One unit equals | 0.001 kHz | 1,000 Hz |
| What it measures | Cycles per second of any repeating event | Thousands of cycles per second |
| Standardized by | BIPM SI Brochure: special name for s⁻¹ | BIPM SI Brochure: the prefix kilo (10³) applied to the hertz |
| Period of one cycle | 1 s at 1 Hz | 1 ms at 1 kHz |
| Typical everyday values | 50 or 60 Hz mains hum, the 440 Hz tuning note, 144 Hz gaming monitors | 44.1 kHz CD sampling, the 20 kHz limit of hearing, an 880 kHz AM station |
| Common confusion | Mixed up with rad/s in physics formulas | Written “KHz”, or confused with kbps data rates |
4 key differences
- A kilohertz is exactly 1,000 hertz, so every Hz to kHz conversion is a decimal shift with nothing to round.
- The hertz is a named SI unit equal to one reciprocal second (s⁻¹), while the kilohertz is that same unit carrying the kilo prefix, not a separate definition.
- At 1 Hz a single cycle lasts a full second; at 1 kHz it lasts one millisecond.
- Bass notes and mains hum below 1,000 Hz are normally written in hertz, while audio and radio specs from 1,000 Hz upward switch to kilohertz.
Audio frequency bands in Hz and kHz
Human hearing spans roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Engineers and mixing guides split that range into named bands; the boundaries below are conventional and vary a little between sources.
| Band | Hertz | Kilohertz |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-bass | 20–60 Hz | 0.02–0.06 kHz |
| Bass | 60–250 Hz | 0.06–0.25 kHz |
| Low midrange | 250–500 Hz | 0.25–0.5 kHz |
| Midrange | 500–2,000 Hz | 0.5–2 kHz |
| Upper midrange | 2,000–4,000 Hz | 2–4 kHz |
| Presence | 4,000–6,000 Hz | 4–6 kHz |
| Brilliance (air) | 6,000–20,000 Hz | 6–20 kHz |
Sample rates and the frequencies they can capture
A digital recording can only represent frequencies below half its sample rate, called the Nyquist frequency. CD audio at 44.1 kHz covers up to 22.05 kHz, just above the limit of hearing, which leaves room for the anti-aliasing filter.
| Use | Sample rate (Hz) | Sample rate (kHz) | Highest frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telephone (narrowband) | 8,000 Hz | 8 kHz | 4 kHz |
| Wideband voice, VoIP | 16,000 Hz | 16 kHz | 8 kHz |
| Half CD rate | 22,050 Hz | 22.05 kHz | 11.025 kHz |
| Digital broadcast audio | 32,000 Hz | 32 kHz | 16 kHz |
| CD audio | 44,100 Hz | 44.1 kHz | 22.05 kHz |
| Video and film audio | 48,000 Hz | 48 kHz | 24 kHz |
| High-resolution audio | 96,000 Hz | 96 kHz | 48 kHz |
| Studio high-resolution | 192,000 Hz | 192 kHz | 96 kHz |
How do you find the period of a frequency in kHz?
Divide 1 by the frequency in kHz and you have the period in milliseconds, because frequency and period are reciprocals and the kilo and milli prefixes cancel. A 1 kHz test tone repeats every 1 ms, a 4 kHz tone every 0.25 ms, and a 0.44 kHz tone (A4) every 2.2727 ms. At the edges of hearing, a 20 Hz wave takes 50 ms per cycle and a 20 kHz wave only 0.05 ms, or 50 microseconds.
Wavelength of sound
In air at about 20 °C, sound travels roughly 343 m/s, so wavelength = 343 ÷ frequency in Hz. A 20 Hz bass note is about 17.15 m long, a 1 kHz tone about 34.3 cm, and a 20 kHz tone only about 1.71 cm. That is why subwoofers need large enclosures while tweeters can be tiny. The cm to inches converter turns those wavelengths into inches.
What is kilohertz used for?
Kilohertz is the everyday unit for signals that repeat thousands of times a second: audio, hearing tests, AM radio, ultrasonics and switching electronics.
- Audio: equalizer bands, crossover points and microphone specs are quoted in Hz up to 1 kHz and in kHz above it, for example a 2.5 kHz crossover.
- Hearing tests: standard audiograms test tones from 250 Hz to 8 kHz. The upper limit of hearing declines with age, so many adults can no longer hear tones near 20 kHz.
- AM radio: medium-wave stations in the Americas broadcast between about 540 and 1,700 kHz, so a station at 880 kHz is 880,000 Hz.
- Ultrasonics: ultrasonic cleaners and range sensors usually work in the 20 to 50 kHz range, above human hearing.
- Electronics: switching power supplies, PWM motor controllers and clock crystals such as the 32.768 kHz watch crystal (2¹⁵ Hz) are specified in kHz.
Rotating machines are usually described in revolutions per minute instead; the rpm to Hz converter links the two. All frequency units are on the frequency converter.
Common Hz to kHz mistakes
- Writing KHz. A capital K is not an SI prefix. The correct symbol is kHz.
- Confusing kHz with kbps. A 44.1 kHz sample rate is not a 44.1 kbps bitrate. Uncompressed stereo CD audio at 16 bits is 44,100 × 16 × 2 = 1,411,200 bit/s, or 1,411.2 kbps. Data rates follow their own prefixes; the Gbps to Mbps converter handles them.
- Dropping the decimal point. 22.05 kHz is 22,050 Hz, not 2,205 Hz. Multiply back by 1,000 to check.
- Treating Hz as a speed of rotation. A value in hertz counts cycles, which can be vibrations, waves or turns. State what is cycling when it is not obvious.
Sources and further reading
The standards and references behind the numbers on this page. Links open in a new tab.
Standards and official sources
Further reading
- HertzWikipedia
Hz to kHz FAQs
Short, exact answers to what people ask most.
How many Hz are in 1 kHz?
There are exactly 1,000 hertz in one kilohertz. So 5 kHz is 5,000 Hz, and 0.5 kHz is 500 Hz.
How do you convert Hz to kHz?
Divide the frequency in hertz by 1,000. For example, 2,500 Hz ÷ 1,000 = 2.5 kHz, and 440 Hz = 0.44 kHz.
What is 44.1 kHz in Hz?
44.1 kHz is 44,100 Hz. It is the sample rate of audio CDs, meaning 44,100 samples are taken every second for each channel.
What is the range of human hearing in kHz?
Human hearing covers roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, which is 0.02 kHz to 20 kHz. The upper limit usually drops with age.
Why is CD audio 44.1 kHz?
A sample rate must be more than twice the highest frequency it records. 44.1 kHz captures everything up to 22.05 kHz, just above the 20 kHz limit of hearing, with a small margin for filtering.
Is kHz written with a capital K?
No. The SI symbol for kilohertz is kHz, with a lowercase k for kilo and a capital H for hertz, the unit named after Heinrich Hertz.
What is 48000 Hz in kHz?
48,000 Hz is 48 kHz, the standard sample rate for video and film audio. Each channel holds 48,000 samples for every second of sound.
What is 250 Hz in kHz?
250 Hz is 0.25 kHz. It is the lowest tone on a standard hearing test and marks the top of the bass band.
How many kHz are in 1 MHz?
One megahertz is exactly 1,000 kHz, or 1,000,000 Hz. So an FM station at 98.5 MHz broadcasts at 98,500 kHz.
What is 32.768 kHz in Hz?
32.768 kHz is 32,768 Hz, which is 2 to the 15th power (32,768). Watch crystals use it because 15 divide-by-two stages bring it down to exactly 1 Hz, one tick per second.
Related conversions
The hertz and SI prefixes from the BIPM SI Brochure (9th edition); CD audio parameters from IEC 60908; the preferred 48 kHz sampling rate from AES5; the sampling theorem as stated by Nyquist and Shannon. Last updated . How we verify our numbers.