Pitch vs. Frequency — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 22, 2023
Pitch is the perceived quality of sound that makes it high or low to our ears, while Frequency is the objective, measurable rate of oscillations of a sound wave. Pitch is subjective, frequency is quantifiable.
Difference Between Pitch and Frequency
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Pitch and Frequency are terms often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings in acoustics and music. Pitch is how high or low we perceive a sound to be, essentially a sensory response. Frequency, in contrast, is the actual number of vibrations or oscillations that a sound wave completes in a second, measured in Hertz (Hz).
The concept of Pitch is rooted in the way our ears and brains interpret sound waves. Two sounds can have the same frequency but can be perceived as having different pitches based on their timbre, loudness, or the context in which they are heard. Frequency, being a physical property, remains constant irrespective of perception and context.
Pitch is a subjective quality and can vary from person to person, depending on how their auditory system interprets sound. Frequency is objective and measurable, offering a universal standard for discussing sound properties. Musicians and audio engineers may talk about pitch when discussing the musical or emotional quality of sound, while scientists and engineers will use frequency to analyze and quantify sound.
In summary, Pitch is an interpretive concept that can be influenced by various factors, including frequency but also including the listener's perception. Frequency, on the other hand, is an objective measure that does not change based on human interpretation. It's the distinction between what is perceived and what is physically measurable.
Comparison Chart
Nature
Subjective
Objective
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Unit of Measure
None (qualitative)
Hertz (Hz)
Factors
Timbre, Loudness, Context
Number of oscillations per second
Used by
Musicians, General Public
Scientists, Engineers
Dependency
Can depend on frequency
Independent of pitch
Compare with Definitions
Pitch
A subjective auditory sensation.
The pitch of her voice changed when she was excited.
Frequency
The rate of oscillations of a sound wave.
The frequency of the tuning fork is 440 Hz.
Pitch
Variable from person to person.
What is a high pitch for me might be different for you.
Frequency
Measured in Hertz (Hz).
We measured the frequency to be exactly 300 Hz.
Pitch
The quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone
Her voice rose steadily in pitch
Frequency
Objective and quantifiable.
The frequency remained constant during the experiment.
Pitch
The steepness of a slope, especially of a roof.
Frequency
Used in scientific applications.
Engineers analyze frequency to improve sound systems.
Pitch
A level of the intensity of something, especially a high level
The media furore reached such a pitch that the company withdrew the product
Frequency
Independent of human perception.
Frequency is factual and does not vary from person to person.
Pitch
An area of ground marked out or used for play in an outdoor team game
A football pitch
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also occasionally referred to as temporal frequency to emphasize the contrast to spatial frequency, and ordinary frequency to emphasize the contrast to angular frequency.
Pitch
A delivery of the ball by the pitcher.
Frequency
The rate at which something occurs over a particular period of time or in a given sample
An increase in the frequency of accidents due to increased overtime
Pitch
A form of words used when trying to persuade someone to buy or accept something
He put over a very strong sales pitch
Frequency
The rate per second of a vibration constituting a wave, either in a material (as in sound waves), or in an electromagnetic field (as in radio waves and light)
Different thicknesses of glass will absorb different frequencies of sound
Pitch
A place where a street vendor or performer stations themselves or sets up a stall
The traders had already reserved their pitches
Frequency
The property or condition of occurring at frequent intervals.
Pitch
A swaying or oscillation of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of motion
The pitch and roll of the ship
Frequency
The number of repetitions of a complete sequence of values of a periodic function per unit variation of an independent variable.
Pitch
The distance between successive corresponding points or lines, for example between the teeth of a cogwheel.
Frequency
The number of complete cycles of a periodic process occurring per unit time.
Pitch
A sticky resinous black or dark brown substance that is semi-liquid when hot and hardens when cold, obtained by distilling tar or turpentine and used for waterproofing.
Frequency
The number of repetitions per unit time of a complete waveform, as of an electric current.
Pitch
Set (one's voice or a piece of music) at a particular pitch
You've pitched the melody very high
Frequency
The number of measurements or observations having a certain value or characteristic.
Pitch
Throw roughly or casually
He crumpled the page up and pitched it into the fireplace
Frequency
See relative frequency.
Pitch
Throw (the ball) for the batter to try to hit.
Frequency
The rate of occurrence of anything; the relationship between incidence and time period.
With growing confidence, the Viking’s raids increased in frequency.
Pitch
Make a bid to obtain a contract or other business
I've been pitching for this account for over a month
Frequency
(uncountable) The property of occurring often rather than infrequently.
Pitch
Set up and fix in position
We pitched camp for the night
Frequency
(countable) The quotient of the number of times a periodic phenomenon occurs over the time in which it occurs: .
Pitch
(of a moving ship, aircraft, or vehicle) rock or oscillate around a lateral axis, so that the front moves up and down
The little steamer pressed on, pitching gently
Frequency
(statistics) number of times an event occurred in an experiment (absolute frequency)
Pitch
Cause (a roof) to slope downwards from the ridge
The roof was pitched at an angle of 75 degrees
Frequency
The condition of returning frequently; occurrence often repeated; common occurence; as, the frequency of crimes; the frequency of miracles.
The reasons that moved her to remove were, because Rome was a place of riot and luxury, her soul being almost stifled with, the frequencies of ladies' visits.
Pitch
Pave (a road) with stones
Another sort of stone is used for pitching streets
Frequency
A crowd; a throng.
Pitch
(in brewing) add yeast to (wort) to induce fermentation.
Frequency
The number of occurrences within a given time period (usually 1 second);
The frequency of modulation was 40 cycles per second
Pitch
Cover, coat, or smear with pitch.
Frequency
The ratio of the number of observations in a statistical category to the total number of observations
Pitch
Any of various thick, dark, sticky substances obtained from the distillation residue of coal tar, wood tar, or petroleum and used for waterproofing, roofing, caulking, and paving.
Frequency
The number of observations in a given statistical category
Pitch
Any of various natural bitumens, such as mineral pitch or asphalt.
Pitch
A resin derived from the sap of various coniferous trees, as the pines.
Pitch
The act or an instance of pitching.
Pitch
A throw of the ball by the pitcher to the batter.
Pitch
A ball so thrown
Hit the pitch into left field.
Pitch
(Sports) A playing field. Also called wicket.
Pitch
(Nautical) The alternate dip and rise of a vessel's bow and stern.
Pitch
The alternate lift and descent of the nose and tail of an airplane.
Pitch
A steep slope.
Pitch
The degree of such a slope.
Pitch
(Sports) A single interval between ledges or anchors used as belaying points in mountaineering
A climb of six pitches.
Pitch
The angle of a roof.
Pitch
The highest point of a structure
The pitch of an arch.
Pitch
A level or degree, as of intensity
Worked at a feverish pitch.
Pitch
(Acoustics) The distinctive quality of a sound, dependent primarily on the frequency of the sound waves produced by its source.
Pitch
(Music) The relative position of a tone within a range of musical sounds, as determined by this quality.
Pitch
(Music) Any of various standards for this quality associating each tone with a particular frequency.
Pitch
The distance traveled by a machine screw in a single revolution.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on adjacent screw threads or gear teeth.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on a helix.
Pitch
The distance that a propeller would travel in an ideal medium during one complete revolution, measured parallel to the shaft of the propeller.
Pitch
A line of talk designed to persuade
"[his] pious pitch for ... austerity" (Boston Globe).
Pitch
An advertisement.
Pitch
Chiefly British The stand of a vendor or hawker.
Pitch
(Games) See seven-up.
Pitch
(Printing) The density of characters in a printed line, usually expressed as characters per inch.
Pitch
To smear or cover with pitch.
Pitch
To throw, usually with careful aim.
Pitch
To discard by throwing
Pitched my worn-out sneakers.
Pitch
To throw (the ball) from the mound to the batter.
Pitch
To play (a game or part of a game) as pitcher.
Pitch
To assign as pitcher
The manager decided to pitch a left-hander.
Pitch
To erect or establish; set up
Pitched a tent.
Pitch camp.
Pitch
To set firmly; implant; embed
Pitched stakes in the ground.
Pitch
To set at a specified downward slant
Pitched the roof at a steep angle.
Pitch
To set at a particular level, degree, or quality
Pitched her expectations too high.
Pitch
(Music) To set the pitch or key of.
Pitch
To adapt so as to be applicable; direct
Pitched his speech to the teenagers in the audience.
Pitch
(Informal) To attempt to promote or sell, often in a high-pressure manner
"showed up on local TV to pitch their views" (Business Week).
Pitch
(Sports) To hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Pitch
To lead (a card), thus establishing the trump suit.
Pitch
To discard (a card other than a trump and different in suit from the card led).
Pitch
To throw or toss something, such as a ball, horseshoe, or bale.
Pitch
(Baseball) To play in the position of pitcher.
Pitch
To plunge headlong
He pitched over the railing.
Pitch
To stumble around; lurch.
Pitch
To buck, as a horse.
Pitch
(Nautical) To dip bow and stern alternately.
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis so that the nose lifts or descends in relation to the tail. Used of an aircraft.
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis that is both perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and horizontal to the earth. Used of a missile or spacecraft.
Pitch
To slope downward
The hill pitches steeply.
Pitch
To set up living quarters; encamp; settle.
Pitch
(Sports) To hit a golf ball in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Pitch
A sticky, gummy substance secreted by trees; sap.
It is hard to get this pitch off my hand.
Pitch
A dark, extremely viscous material remaining in still after distilling crude oil and tar.
They put pitch on the mast to protect it.
The barrel was sealed with pitch.
It was pitch black because there was no moon.
Pitch
(geology) Pitchstone.
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand.
A good pitch in quoits
Pitch
(baseball) The act of pitching a baseball.
The pitch was low and inside.
Pitch
The field on which cricket, soccer, rugby, gridiron or field hockey is played. cricket pitch.}} Not often used in the US or Canada, where "field" is the preferred word.
The teams met on the pitch.
Pitch
(rare) The field of battle.
Pitch
An effort to sell or promote something.
He gave me a sales pitch.
Pitch
The distance between evenly spaced objects, e.g. the teeth of a saw or gear, the turns of a screw thread, the centres of holes, or letters in a monospace font.
The pitch of pixels on the point scale is 72 pixels per inch.
The pitch of this saw is perfect for that type of wood.
A helical scan with a pitch of zero is equivalent to constant z-axis scanning.
Pitch
The angle at which an object sits.
The pitch of the roof or haystack
Pitch
The rotation angle about the transverse axis.
Pitch
The degree to which a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, rotates on such an axis, tilting its bow or nose up or down. Compare with roll, yaw, and heave.
The pitch of an aircraft
Pitch
(aviation) A measure of the angle of attack of a propeller.
The propeller blades' pitch went to 90° as the engine was feathered.
Pitch
An area in a market (or similar) allocated to a particular trader.
Pitch
(by extension) The place where a busker performs, a prostitute solicits clients, or an illegal gambling game etc. is set up before the public.
Pitch
An area on a campsite intended for occupation by a single tent, caravan or similar.
Pitch
A level or degree, or (by extension), a peak or highest degree.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point of elevation or depression.
Pitch
The most thrust-out point of a headland or cape.
Pitch
Collectively, the outermost points of some part of the body, especially the shoulders or hips.
Pitch
The height a bird reaches in flight, especially a bird of prey preparing to swoop down on its prey.
Pitch
A person's or animal's height.
Pitch
Prominence; importance.
Pitch
(climbing) A section of a climb or rock face; specifically, the climbing distance between belays or stances.
Pitch
(caving) A vertical cave passage, only negotiable by using rope or ladders.
The entrance pitch requires 30 metres of rope.
Pitch
(cricket) That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant.
A steep pitch in the road
The pitch of a roof
Pitch
(mining) The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The perceived frequency of a sound or note.
The pitch of middle "C" is familiar to many musicians.
Pitch
(music) The standard to which a group of musical instruments are tuned or in which a piece is performed, usually by reference to the frequency to which the musical note A above middle C is tuned.
Are we in baroque pitch for this one?
Pitch
(music) In an a cappella group, the singer responsible for singing a note for the other members to tune themselves by.
Bob, our pitch, let out a clear middle "C" and our conductor gave the signal to start.
Pitch
To cover or smear with pitch.
Pitch
To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw.
He pitched the horseshoe.
Pitch
To throw (the ball) toward a batter at home plate.
The hurler pitched a curveball.
He pitched high and inside.
Pitch
To play baseball in the position of pitcher.
Bob pitches today.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw away; discard.
He pitched the candy wrapper.
Pitch
(transitive) To promote, advertise, or attempt to sell.
He pitched the idea for months with no takers.
Pitch
(transitive) To deliver in a certain tone or style, or with a certain audience in mind.
At which level should I pitch my presentation?
Pitch
(transitive) To assemble or erect (a tent).
Pitch the tent over there.
Pitch
(intransitive) To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To move so that the front of an aircraft or boat goes alternatively up and down.
The typhoon pitched the deck of the ship.
The airplane pitched.
Pitch
To play a short, high, lofty shot that lands with backspin.
The only way to get on the green from here is to pitch the ball over the bunker.
Pitch
To bounce on the playing surface.
The ball pitched well short of the batsman.
Pitch
To settle and build up, without melting.
Pitch
To alight; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
Pitch
(with on or upon) To fix one's choice.
Pitch
(intransitive) To plunge or fall; especially, to fall forward; to decline or slope.
To pitch from a precipice
The field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones.
Pitch
To set or fix.
Pitch
To discard for some gain.
Pitch
To attack, or position or assemble for attack.
Pitch
(intransitive) To produce a note of a given pitch.
Pitch
(transitive) To fix or set the tone of.
Pitch
A thick, black, lustrous, and sticky substance obtained by boiling down tar. It is used in calking the seams of ships; also in coating rope, canvas, wood, ironwork, etc., to preserve them.
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith.
Pitch
See Pitchstone.
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand; as, a good pitch in quoits.
Pitch
That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point or degree of elevation or depression; hence, a limit or bound.
Driven headlong from the pitch of heaven, downInto this deep.
Enterprises of great pitch and moment.
To lowest pitch of abject fortune.
He lived when learning was at its highest pitch.
The exact pitch, or limits, where temperance ends.
Pitch
Height; stature.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant; as, a steep pitch in the road; the pitch of a roof.
Pitch
The relative acuteness or gravity of a tone, determined by the number of vibrations which produce it; the place of any tone upon a scale of high and low.
Pitch
The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The distance from center to center of any two adjacent teeth of gearing, measured on the pitch line; - called also circular pitch.
Pitch
The distance between symmetrically arranged or corresponding parts of an armature, measured along a line, called the pitch line, drawn around its length. Sometimes half of this distance is called the pitch.
Pitch
To cover over or smear with pitch.
Pitch
Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
The welkin pitched with sullen could.
Pitch
To throw, generally with a definite aim or purpose; to cast; to hurl; to toss; as, to pitch quoits; to pitch hay; to pitch a ball.
Pitch
To thrust or plant in the ground, as stakes or poles; hence, to fix firmly, as by means of poles; to establish; to arrange; as, to pitch a tent; to pitch a camp.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones, as an embankment or a roadway.
Pitch
To fix or set the tone of; as, to pitch a tune.
Pitch
To set or fix, as a price or value.
Pitch
To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To light; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
The tree whereon they [the bees] pitch.
Pitch
To fix one's choise; - with on or upon.
Pitch upon the best course of life, and custom will render it the more easy.
Pitch
To plunge or fall; esp., to fall forward; to decline or slope; as, to pitch from a precipice; the vessel pitches in a heavy sea; the field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
The property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
Pitch
(baseball) the throwing of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter
Pitch
A vendor's position (especially on the sidewalk);
He was employed to see that his paper's news pitches were not trespassed upon by rival vendors
Pitch
Promotion by means of an argument and demonstration
Pitch
Degree of deviation from a horizontal plane;
The roof had a steep pitch
Pitch
Any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
Pitch
A high approach shot in golf
Pitch
An all-fours game in which the first card led is a trump
Pitch
Abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance);
The pitching and tossing was quite exciting
Pitch
The action or manner of throwing something;
His pitch fell short and his hat landed on the floor
Pitch
Throw or toss with a light motion;
Flip me the beachball
Toss me newspaper
Pitch
Move abruptly;
The ship suddenly lurched to the left
Pitch
Fall or plunge forward;
She pitched over the railing of the balcony
Pitch
Set to a certain pitch;
He pitched his voice very low
Pitch
Sell or offer for sale from place to place
Pitch
Be at an angle;
The terrain sloped down
Pitch
Heel over;
The tower is tilting
The ceiling is slanting
Pitch
Erect and fasten;
Pitch a tent
Pitch
Throw or hurl from the mound to the batter, as in baseball;
The pitcher delivered the ball
Pitch
Hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with a backspin
Pitch
Lead (a card) and establish the trump suit
Pitch
Set the level or character of;
She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience
Pitch
Perceived quality of a sound that makes it high or low.
The pitch of the violin was incredibly high.
Pitch
Influenced by timbre and loudness.
The pitch seemed lower due to the sound's timbre.
Pitch
Used in music to denote tonal qualities.
The singer hit the perfect pitch throughout the performance.
Common Curiosities
Who uses the term Frequency?
Scientists, engineers, and audio professionals commonly use the term frequency.
What is Pitch?
Pitch is the perceived quality of sound that makes it high or low to our ears.
Is Pitch the same as Frequency?
No, pitch is subjective and based on perception, while frequency is an objective measurement.
Is Pitch universal?
No, what is considered a high pitch for one person may not be the same for another.
Is Frequency universal?
Yes, frequency is a universal measurement and remains constant.
How is Frequency used in technology?
Frequency is analyzed in various technologies like radio, sound systems, and telecommunications.
What is Frequency?
Frequency is the measurable rate of oscillations of a sound wave, usually in Hertz (Hz).
Is Pitch measurable?
Pitch itself is not directly measurable like frequency but can be related to frequency.
What unit is Frequency measured in?
Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz).
Does Frequency change based on perception?
No, frequency is an objective fact and does not change based on perception.
Can two sounds with the same Frequency have different Pitches?
Yes, the pitch can vary due to timbre, loudness, and the listener's perception.
Do animals perceive Pitch?
Yes, but the range and interpretation can vary widely among species.
Can Pitch and Frequency be converted?
While they are related, pitch and frequency are not directly convertible due to the subjective nature of pitch.
Is Pitch important in music?
Yes, pitch is crucial for tonal qualities and musical composition.
What factors affect Pitch?
Timbre, loudness, and context can all affect the pitch of a sound.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
