To examine the question of whether the distortion product 2fl−fhis unique—whether a special nonlinear mechanism is responsible for its production—estimates of 2fl−fhand of 2l+fhamplitudes were obtained in three listeners. Threshold shifts measured with a tone‐on‐tone masking paradigm for each distortion product suggest that each have similar properties and are masked paradigm or each distortion product suggest that each have similar properties and are masked by other tones as if they had a physical realization in the cochlea. Their masking is not a function of stimulus fine‐time structure. The 1 dB/dB growth of 2fl−fhwas not changed by rendering it inaudiable as previously suggested. Possible explanations of the 1 dB/dB growth of 2fl−fhcompared with the accelerated growth of 2fl+fhare examined.