The effect of external leakage on the acoustic performance of Helmholtz resonators is experimentally and numerically investigated. The transmission loss of the Helmholtz resonator with a circular perforated hole is measured by using an impedance tube setup. The experimental results are then compared with one-dimensional analytical and three-dimensional numerical results. As the size of the hole increases, the peak of the transmission loss shifts to higher frequency, especially for the holes on the cavity. While the transmission loss is almost independent of the location of the hole on the cavity, the impact of the hole location on the neck on the transmission loss is not negligible. The results show that one-dimensional analytical method can predict the overall trends, whereas three-dimensional numerical method is necessary for more accurate predictions.