When Can Baby Hear in the Womb? A Week-by-Week Guide

When do babies start hearing in the womb? When can they recognize your voice? Here is the science of fetal hearing development — and what it means for the lullabies you sing.

Singing to your bump, playing classical music, having one-sided conversations on the bus — at what point can your baby actually hear you? Here is the developmental timeline.

Week 9: the architecture begins

Tiny ear structures start forming. Baby cannot hear yet, but the foundation is being laid.

Week 16: first responses to sound

Research suggests babies begin responding to sounds — likely to the vibrations more than the audio itself — around week 16. You may notice baby moves when you start a vacuum cleaner or sing loudly.

Week 20: full ear structures

Inner, middle, and outer ear structures are complete. The tiny bones of the middle ear begin to harden.

Week 24: hearing in earnest

Baby clearly hears now. The first sounds they recognize are the rhythmic ones — your heartbeat, the whoosh of blood through your placenta, and your voice, which travels through your body. Outside sounds reach baby muffled, as if through water.

Week 25 and beyond: recognition

Babies start to recognize and prefer their mother's voice. Studies show newborns will turn toward their mother's voice over a stranger's voice within hours of birth — proof they were listening.

What it means

Talk, sing, read aloud — your baby is listening. Studies have shown newborns recognize lullabies and stories heard repeatedly in late pregnancy. Don't worry about doing it 'right' — your normal voice is your baby's favorite sound.