What is the psychoacoustic correlate of frequency?

The psychoacoustic correlate of frequency is pitch. Frequency refers to the physical measurement of sound waves expressed in Hertz (Hz), which represents the number of cycles per second. Pitch is the perceptual attribute that allows us to identify how 'high' or 'low' a sound is based on that frequency.

When we listen to a sound, our auditory system interprets different frequencies and translates them into sensations of pitch. For example, a sound wave with a frequency of 440 Hz is typically perceived as the musical note A above middle C, which has a specific and identifiable pitch.

While volume relates to the amplitude of the sound wave and is perceived as loudness, timbre pertains to the quality or color of a sound that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as an instrument versus a voice, despite them having the same pitch and volume. Tone can refer to the quality of a sound but is generally broader and does not specifically correlate with frequency as precisely as pitch does. Thus, pitch is the term that directly corresponds to the psychoacoustic experience of frequency.