Decibel levels chart: how loud is too loud?

How loud are everyday sounds?

Sound level is measured in decibels (dB). dBA is a reading weighted to match how human hearing responds. Real values depend on the source and how far away you are, so each sound below is a range.

NIOSH recommended limit, averaged over an 8-hour day

85 dBA

Each 3 dB louder halves the recommended time

3 dB

Unlikely to cause hearing loss, even after long exposure

≤70 dBA

NIOSH gives plain examples too. Lawn mowers, vacuums and power tools are around 85–90 dBA, where you need to raise your voice to be heard by someone 3 feet away. Chain saws, ambulance sirens and nightclubs are 95 dBA or more, where you need to shout.

You can measure the sound around you with the decibel meter, which shows approximate reference levels next to the live reading.

How decibels work

Decibels are logarithmic, not linear. Every 10 dB increase is ten times the sound energy, and most people hear it as roughly twice as loud. So 80 dB isn't a third louder than 60 dB. It has a hundred times the energy.

A 3 dB increase doubles the sound energy. That's why a few extra decibels matter much more than the numbers suggest.

How loud is too loud?

The figure most often cited is 85 dBA. NIOSH, the US workplace safety research institute, recommends a limit of 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour day. Because decibels are logarithmic, the recommended time falls quickly as the level rises: for each 3 dBA increase, NIOSH halves the exposure time. OSHA's legal limit for US workplaces is looser, 90 dBA for eight hours with a 5 dBA exchange rate.

Move the slider to see the recommended daily maximum at any level.

Short bursts of loud noise are less of a concern than hours of it, but very loud sounds can cause harm quickly. If you need to raise your voice to talk to someone an arm's length away, it's likely loud enough to matter over time.

If you've been around loud noise and your ears ring or sound muffled afterwards, take a break from noise. If it doesn't clear, see an audiologist or a doctor. The hearing range test can show roughly what frequencies you hear, but it isn't a medical test.

How to measure noise with an online decibel meter

The decibel meter uses your device's microphone. Audio is analysed on your device and isn't recorded or uploaded.

1. Open the decibel meter and press Start meter, then allow microphone access.
2. If you have more than one microphone, pick the one you want under Microphone.
3. Hold the device still and point the mic at the sound you want to measure. Don't cover it with your hand.
4. Watch the live level and the 60-second history graph.
5. Read Minimum, Average (Leq) and Maximum for the period. Press Reset stats to start a new measurement.
6. For real numbers, calibrate the offset against a reference meter (see below).

Average (Leq) is an energy average, so loud moments count for more than quiet ones. It's the best single number for how loud a place was over time.

What's the difference between dBFS and dB SPL?

These are two different scales, and the meter shows both.

To turn dBFS into dB SPL you need to know how sensitive the microphone is. The browser doesn't report that, so the meter adds an offset: dB SPL = dBFS + offset. The default offset is a rough starting point, which is why the reading is labelled as an uncalibrated estimate.

Why phone and laptop mics aren't calibrated

Phone and laptop microphones are built for voices, not measurement. Sensitivity differs between models by 20 dB or more, they roll off very low and very high sounds, and they can clip in very loud places, so the reading stops rising even when the sound does.

The meter asks the browser to turn off echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain, as these would change the level. Some devices may still apply their own processing.

So treat an uncalibrated reading as a rough estimate. It's good for comparing one room with another on the same device, but it isn't a legal or workplace noise measurement.

How to calibrate with a reference meter

If you can borrow a sound level meter, you can make the estimate much closer.

1. Play a steady sound, such as a fan or pink noise from a speaker.
2. Put the reference meter and your device's mic side by side, the same distance from the source.
3. Under Calibration & input, adjust the offset with the slider or the − and + buttons until the decibel meter matches the reference.
4. Check at a second, louder level. If both match, the calibration is good for that microphone.

The offset is specific to one microphone on one device. If you switch mics or devices, calibrate again.

Is the meter A-weighted?

No. The decibel meter is unweighted. Most sound level meters and noise limits use A-weighting (dBA), which reduces low and very high frequencies to match how human hearing responds.

For sounds with a lot of bass, such as traffic rumble or a subwoofer, an unweighted reading will usually be higher than a dBA reading. When you calibrate against a reference meter, set that meter to its flat or Z-weighting mode if it has one, or calibrate with a sound that has little bass.

Next, check your mic and your hearing

If the meter barely moves, test the microphone on its own, and work through microphone not working if it stays flat. Then try the hearing range test to see which frequencies you can hear, and read hearing range by age for what's typical.