Decibel Chart of Common Sounds

Sound is measured in decibels (dB) on a logarithmic scale — every 10 dB increase sounds roughly twice as loud and represents 10x more sound energy. This chart uses A-weighted decibels (dBA), which filter sound to match human hearing sensitivity, the standard for noise exposure assessment.

dB Sound Source Category Health Note
0 Threshold of hearing Household
10 Normal breathing Household
20 Rustling leaves Nature
25 Whisper at 5 feet Household
30 Quiet rural area Nature
35 Quiet library Household
40 Quiet residential area at night Household
45 Bird calls Nature
50 Moderate rainfall Nature
55 Coffee shop ambience Household
60 Normal conversation Household
65 Laughter Leisure
70 Shower / washing machine Household Moderate — prolonged exposure may cause fatigue
72 Dishwasher Household Moderate — prolonged exposure may cause fatigue
75 Busy traffic (from inside car) Transport Moderate — prolonged exposure may cause fatigue
78 Alarm clock Household Moderate — prolonged exposure may cause fatigue
80 Busy restaurant Household Moderate — prolonged exposure may cause fatigue
82 Garbage disposal Household Moderate — prolonged exposure may cause fatigue
84 Diesel truck at 50 feet Transport Moderate — prolonged exposure may cause fatigue
NIOSH hearing damage threshold — prolonged exposure above 85 dBA can cause permanent hearing loss
85 Heavy city traffic Workplace Limit: 8 hours
88 Lawn mower Household Limit: 4 hours
90 Power drill Workplace Limit: 2 hours
92 Belt sander Workplace Limit: 1.5 hours
94 Motorcycle Transport Limit: 1 hour
95 Personal audio at max volume Leisure Limit: 50 minutes
96 Snowmobile Transport Limit: 40 minutes
98 Handheld drill Workplace Limit: 25 minutes
100 Factory machinery Workplace Hearing protection required
102 Jackhammer at 15 feet Workplace Hearing protection required
105 Helicopter overhead Transport Hearing protection required
107 Power saw Workplace Hearing protection required
110 Rock concert Leisure Hearing protection required
112 Nightclub / loud bar Leisure Hearing protection required
115 Emergency siren Transport Hearing protection required
117 Firecrackers Leisure Hearing protection required
120 Thunderclap Nature Immediate damage risk
125 Balloon popping at ear Leisure Immediate damage risk
130 Jet engine at 100 feet Transport Immediate damage risk
140 Gunshot Danger Zone Immediate damage risk
150 Fireworks at 3 feet Danger Zone Immediate damage risk
160+ Rocket launch Danger Zone Immediate damage risk
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Safe Noise Exposure Limits

The NIOSH recommended exposure limit follows a 3 dB exchange rate — every 3 dB increase halves the safe exposure time.

dB LevelMax Safe Exposure
85 dB8 hours
88 dB4 hours
91 dB2 hours
94 dB1 hour
97 dB30 minutes
100 dB15 minutes
103 dB7.5 minutes
106 dB3.75 minutes
109 dBLess than 2 minutes
112+ dBImmediate risk

How Decibels Work

Logarithmic Scale

A 10 dB increase represents 10 times more sound energy and is perceived as roughly twice as loud. A 70 dB vacuum cleaner is not "a little louder" than a 60 dB conversation — it's carrying 10x the energy.

A-Weighting (dBA)

Human ears are less sensitive to very low and very high frequencies. A-weighting applies a filter that matches our hearing curve, making dBA the standard for noise exposure and health assessments.

The Risk Triad

Hearing damage depends on three factors: sound level, proximity to the source, and duration of exposure. A brief 100 dB spike is less harmful than 8 hours at 90 dB — context matters.

Measure It Yourself

Curious how loud your environment is? Sound Gauge Pro turns your iPhone into a precision decibel meter with A, C, and Z frequency weighting.

Download on the App Store

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