S3 Heart Sounds Page

Welcome to our S3 heart sound page. On this page we provide a definition and then we compare heart sounds with s3 to heart sounds with s4, using audio recordings and text. There is a link our the S3 lessons at the bottom of the page.

What are S3 Heart Sounds?

Third heart sounds are short, low frequency sound heard best with the stethoscope's bell. They occurs early in diastole and are dull in quality. They create a galloping rhythm with a cadence similar to the word 'Kentucky'.

Normal vs S3 Heart Sounds

Here we offer a comparison of a normal heart sounds vs an S3 heart sounds.

Compare normal to S3.

Normal

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Listen to this normal heart sound recording.

S3 Heart Sound

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Listen for a short, low frequency sounds early in diastole. Try to match the cadence to 'Kentucky'.

S3 vs S4 Heart Sounds

Compare S3 to S4 heart sounds using the audio tracks below.

S3 Heart Sounds

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Listen for a short, low frequency sounds early in diastole. Try to match the cadence to 'Kentucky'.

S4 Heart Sounds

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Listen for a cadence like the word 'Tennessee' where the syllable 'Ten' is S4. S4 is usually short and low frequency.

Third Heart Sound Guide

Our auscultation guide provides information and examples of hearts sounds. For S3, the guide pages provide waveforms with a moving cursor that is synchronized to the audio recording. In addition, listening tips are available.
S3 Heart Sound

S3 Heart Sound Lesson

This is a link to our short course on extra heart sounds.
Extra Heart Sounds (S3 and S4)