Kilohertz to hertz:
multiply by 1,000
Convert kHz to Hz for audio sample rates, radio and electronics, with a chart and the mistakes people make with frequency units.
Calcylator Editorial Team
Updated · 5 min read
How many Hz are in a kHz?
One kilohertz (kHz) is exactly 1,000 hertz (Hz). Hertz counts cycles per second, and the prefix kilo means a thousand, so a 1 kHz signal repeats 1,000 times every second.
Unlike data units, frequency has no binary twin: the kilo here is always 1,000, never 1,024. That makes kHz to Hz a clean multiplication by a power of ten.
The kHz to Hz formula
- Hz:
- frequency in hertz
- kHz:
- frequency in kilohertz
- 1,000:
- hertz in one kilohertz
Audio sample rate
44.1 kHz
Multiply
44.1 × 1,000
Frequency in Hz
44,100 Hz
CD audio is sampled 44,100 times per second.
A second example in the other direction: a 1,500 Hz tone is 1,500 ÷ 1,000 = 1.5 kHz. A pitch of 0.5 kHz is 500 Hz. The rule is the same in each case: only the decimal point moves three places.
- Write the frequency in kHz, keeping decimals.
- Multiply by 1,000, or move the decimal point three places to the right.
- Add the unit Hz to the answer.
- Check that the Hz number is larger than the kHz number.
Kilohertz to hertz chart
Every row below is the kHz value multiplied by 1,000.
| Kilohertz (kHz) | Hertz (Hz) |
|---|---|
| 1 kHz | 1,000 Hz |
| 2 kHz | 2,000 Hz |
| 5 kHz | 5,000 Hz |
| 10 kHz | 10,000 Hz |
| 25 kHz | 25,000 Hz |
| 50 kHz | 50,000 Hz |
| 100 kHz | 100,000 Hz |
| 250 kHz | 250,000 Hz |
| 500 kHz | 500,000 Hz |
| 1,000 kHz | 1,000,000 Hz |
The final row shows that 1,000 kHz equals 1 MHz, or 1,000,000 Hz.
Where kHz to Hz conversions appear
Audio is the most familiar place. Sample rates are quoted in kHz, such as 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, while editing software or code may want the value in Hz. A 48 kHz setting becomes 48,000 in a programming field that expects hertz.
Hearing is often described as spanning roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and the top of that range is 20,000 Hz. Radio is another case: AM stations are tuned in kHz, so a station at 1,000 kHz transmits at 1,000,000 Hz. Switching-mode power supplies and ultrasonic sensors are rated in kHz too, while the formulas used to design them want hertz.
A quick sanity check
Common mistakes when converting kHz to Hz
- Using 1,024 as if frequency worked like bytes. It does not; kilo always means 1,000 here.
- Dividing instead of multiplying. Hertz is the smaller unit, so the Hz number is larger.
- Confusing kHz with MHz, which is a thousand times bigger, so 1 MHz is 1,000 kHz.
- Writing the unit as KHz or khz. The correct symbol is kHz, with a lowercase k and capital H.
Common questions
How many Hz are in 1 kHz?
One kilohertz is exactly 1,000 hertz. The prefix kilo means a thousand, so a signal at 1 kHz completes 1,000 cycles each second. Unlike computer memory, there is no 1,024 version of this unit.
How do I convert kHz to Hz?
Multiply the kilohertz by 1,000. For example, 3.2 kHz is 3.2 × 1,000 = 3,200 Hz. You can also move the decimal point three places to the right and add zeros as needed.
How many Hz is 44.1 kHz?
44.1 kHz is 44,100 Hz. This is the standard sampling rate of audio CDs, meaning the sound wave is measured 44,100 times each second. Multiply 44.1 by 1,000 to get the same result.
How do I convert Hz to kHz?
Divide the hertz by 1,000. A 12,000 Hz tone is 12 kHz, and 750 Hz is 0.75 kHz. The kHz number is always smaller because the kilohertz is a larger unit.
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