Which term best describes the subjective experience of sound frequency?

The term that best describes the subjective experience of sound frequency is pitch. Pitch is the perception of how high or low a sound is, which directly relates to the frequency of the sound wave. Higher frequencies are perceived as higher pitches, while lower frequencies are perceived as lower pitches. This auditory perception is subjective because it varies from person to person, depending on factors such as age and hearing ability.

In contrast, volume refers to the perceived loudness of a sound, which is not directly related to its frequency. Amplitude is a physical property of sound waves that describes the size of the wave—larger amplitudes correspond to louder sounds, but again, this does not pertain to frequency. Intensity refers to the power of a sound wave per unit area and is typically measured in decibels, which gives a quantitative measure of loudness, but it is separate from the experience of pitch itself. Therefore, pitch is the most appropriate term to describe how we perceive the frequency of sound.