kilohertz (kHz) to hertz (Hz) Converter
Convert kilohertz (kHz) to hertz (Hz) instantly with a reference table.
| kilohertz (kHz) | hertz (Hz) |
|---|
How to convert kilohertz (kHz) to hertz (Hz)
Enter your value
Type the number of kilohertz (khz) you want to convert into the left box. The result in hertz (hz) appears instantly in the right box. You can also type into the right box to convert in the other direction.
Use the swap button
Click the ⇄ Swap button to reverse the conversion — hertz (Hz) to kilohertz (kHz). Your current value carries across so you don't have to re-enter anything.
What hertz is actually measuring
Hertz (Hz) measures frequency — the number of complete cycles of a repeating event per second, named after Heinrich Hertz, who proved the existence of electromagnetic waves in 1887. A kilohertz is simply 1,000 of those cycles per second, so converting between the two is always a clean multiply-or-divide-by-1000, unlike unit pairs with awkward decimal conversion factors.
Where kHz shows up in everyday electronics
Human hearing and audio sampling
Young, healthy human ears typically detect sound from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz — a range that narrows with age, with most adults losing sensitivity above 15-17 kHz by middle age. Digital audio formats are engineered around this range: CD audio samples at 44.1 kHz, professional video audio at 48 kHz.
Radio broadcasting
AM radio broadcasts in the roughly 530-1,700 kHz range, which is why old radio dials show numbers like "1010 kHz" rather than "1.01 MHz". FM radio and modern digital broadcasting operate in the much higher MHz range instead.
Telephone audio and legacy systems
Older analogue telephone lines carried audio in a narrow 300 Hz-3.4 kHz band — enough for intelligible speech but far below full audio fidelity, which is part of why phone-call audio sounds noticeably thinner than music or in-person conversation.
1 kHz = 1,000 Hz. Audible range: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz). Standard telephone audio bandwidth: 300-3,400 Hz. CD audio: 20-20,000 Hz sampled at 44,100 Hz (44.1 kHz). DAB digital radio: 1.152 Mbps data rate. Human speech intelligibility: 300-4,000 Hz (1 kHz range).
| kilohertz (kHz) | hertz (Hz) |
|---|---|
| 0.001 | 1 |
| 0.01 | 10 |
| 0.1 | 100 |
| 0.5 | 500 |
| 1 | 1000 |
| 2 | 2000 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert kilohertz (kHz) to hertz (Hz)?
To convert kilohertz (kHz) to hertz (Hz), multiply by 1000. Or use the calculator above for instant results.
How many hertz (Hz) are in 1 kilohertz (kHz)?
1 kilohertz (kHz) equals 1000 hertz (Hz).
Is the kilohertz (kHz) to hertz (Hz) converter free?
Yes, the kilohertz (kHz) to hertz (Hz) converter is completely free with no sign-up required, no downloads, and it works offline once the page has loaded.
What is hertz actually measuring?
Hertz measures frequency — the number of complete cycles of a repeating event per second. 1 Hz means one cycle per second, whether that's a sound wave, an electrical current, or a radio wave. Named after Heinrich Hertz, who proved electromagnetic waves exist in 1887.
Why is 20 kHz considered the upper limit of human hearing?
Young, healthy human ears typically detect sound from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This narrows with age — most adults lose sensitivity above 15-17 kHz by middle age, which is why digital audio formats are engineered around this range as a practical standard rather than a hard physical limit.
Where does "kHz" actually get used in everyday electronics?
AM radio broadcasts around 530-1,700 kHz. Audio sample rates are given in kHz (44.1 kHz for CD, 48 kHz for professional video). Older analogue phone lines carried audio in the 300 Hz-3.4 kHz range.