# Tonal audibility of wind turbine noise (IEC 61400-11)

> Part of [LISQM](https://zhenxianli.github.io/LISQM/) (List of Implementations of Sound Quality Metrics), a list of open-source implementations of psychoacoustic metrics. Data as of 2026-10-28. Web page: https://zhenxianli.github.io/LISQM/metrics/tonal-audibility-iec-61400-11.html

**Quantity:** Tonality · **Unit:** dB · **Also known as:** IEC 61400-11, wind turbine tonality, tonal audibility

Tonality analysis in the acoustic noise measurement of wind turbines: tones are identified in narrow-band spectra and their tonal audibility is reported.

The current edition is IEC 61400-11:2012+AMD1:2018. Open-source implementations of it: [phonometry](https://zhenxianli.github.io/LISQM/projects/phonometry.html) (Python; newly released, not yet seen to be widely used). So far, only newly released projects, not yet seen to be widely used in the community, have released an implementation of it. Check their validation before relying on them.

## Editions and who implements them

| Date | Edition | Status | What changed | Implemented by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-11 | [IEC 61400-11:2012+AMD1:2018](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/63367) | current | Edition 3 with Amendment 1 (2018); tonal audibility in clause 9.5. | [phonometry](https://zhenxianli.github.io/LISQM/projects/phonometry.html) |
| 2002-12 | [IEC 61400-11:2002](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/19736) | superseded | Edition 2 (Amendment 1 in 2006); already has a tonal audibility procedure. | — |

## Implementations

| Project | Language | Edition | Functions | Validation (as stated) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [phonometry](https://zhenxianli.github.io/LISQM/projects/phonometry.html) | Python | [IEC 61400-11:2012+AMD1:2018](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/63367) | `wind_turbine_tonality` | not stated | Newly released project, not yet seen to be widely used. |

**See also:** [Tonal audibility in environmental noise (ISO 1996-2)](https://zhenxianli.github.io/LISQM/metrics/tonal-audibility-iso-1996-2.html)

## How they were validated

As reported by each project; LISQM has not run the code. Two implementations that agree can still share the same error.

None of these projects says how its code was validated.

## References

1. IEC 61400-11:2002. Wind turbine generator systems — Part 11: Acoustic noise measurement techniques. https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/19736
2. IEC 61400-11:2012+AMD1:2018. Wind turbines — Part 11: Acoustic noise measurement techniques. https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/63367