The research was commissioned by RNID, the leading charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, for their bold new campaign, Breaking the Sound Barrier, which aims to change attitudes towards hearing loss and hearing aids.

When asked which sounds people would miss the most if they became deaf, 16% answered radio and 43% said they would miss music. The most popular sound which would be missed was the sound of people voices with 60% of respondents listing it as a sound they would miss.

They were some unusual findings from the research - with 5% of respondents saying they would miss the sounds of the weather, such as rain and thunder, and 7% saying they would miss the sounds of animals!

If people are concerned they are not hearing the sounds they like the most, the Breaking the Sound Barrier campaign urges members of them to call 0845 600 55 55 to take RNID's five minute telephone hearing check. It's the world's largest telephone hearing check and it hopes to reach out to the 4 million people in the UK1 who are losing their hearing but doing nothing about it.  So far nearly 200,000 people have taken the plunge and called the hearing check number.

Susan Osborne, Breaking the Sound Barrier Campaign Director, says: 
“The radio, music and people voices are some of the most important sounds in people’s lives. If you think you might be missing out on the soundtrack of your life, why not take RNID’s telephone hearing check on 0845 600 55 55.  It could help reconnect you with the sounds which mean the most to you.”

Sir Cliff Richard - a celebrity supporter of Breaking the Sound Barrier campaign says: "Clear hearing has been something I've always depended on in my professional life, and I'm delighted that RNID has launched its telephone hearing check so that we can all get a clearer picture of our level of hearing.   I'd urge everyone to support Breaking the Sound Barrier by taking the hearing check.  It could change your life for the better."

The Ipsos MORI survey also shows almost half (46%) of adults in Britain believe that embarrassment about not being able to hear prevents people with hearing difficulties discussing their problem with others, or having a hearing test.

Over a quarter (27 per cent) say this is because people with hearing difficulties worry other people would think they were getting old if they wore a hearing aid, and one in five (20 per cent) say the reason is that people with hearing difficulties are concerned people would look at them and treat them differently if they wore a hearing aid.