Decibel chart: how loud everyday sounds are, from a whisper to fireworks

Decibel chart of common sounds

These levels come from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Real sounds vary with distance and the source, so treat each number as a typical value, not an exact one.

0 dB: the softest sound a person can hear
10 dB: normal breathing
20 dB: a ticking watch
30 dB: a soft whisper
40 dB: a refrigerator hum
60 dB: normal conversation, an air conditioner
70 dB: a washing machine or dishwasher
80 to 85 dB: city traffic heard inside a car, a petrol lawnmower or leaf blower
95 dB: a motorcycle
100 dB: an approaching underground train, a car horn about 5 m away, a football or ice hockey crowd
105 to 110 dB: headphones or earbuds at maximum volume, nightclubs, pubs and rock concerts
110 dB: someone shouting or a dog barking right next to your ear
120 dB: standing near a siren
140 to 150 dB: firecrackers

How loud is 60, 70, 85 or 100 dB?

60 dB is the level of a normal conversation between two people. It is comfortable and does not harm hearing.

70 dB is a running dishwasher or washing machine. The CDC notes that you may find it annoying, and that noise above 70 dB over a long period may start to damage hearing.

85 dB is a lawnmower or heavy traffic. NIOSH, the US institute for workplace safety, sets 85 dBA averaged over an 8-hour day as its recommended limit. A simple sign: at this level you usually have to raise your voice to be heard by someone about 1 m away.

100 dB is an underground train pulling in or a loud stadium. According to the CDC, hearing loss is possible after about 15 minutes at this level.

Why a few decibels make a big difference

Decibels are not a straight line like centimetres or inches. The scale is logarithmic: every 3 dB step roughly doubles the sound energy reaching your ears. That is why NIOSH halves the recommended exposure time for each 3 dB increase. If 8 hours is the limit at 85 dBA, it drops to 4 hours at 88 dBA and 2 hours at 91 dBA.

The same rule explains why lower noise for a long time can do as much harm as louder noise for a short time. The CDC puts it plainly: what matters is both how loud the sound is and how long you are exposed to it.

How long is safe at each level

The CDC gives these rough times after which hearing damage becomes possible. They follow the NIOSH 3 dB rule.

80 to 85 dB (lawnmower, leaf blower): about 2 hours
95 dB (motorcycle): about 50 minutes
100 dB (underground train, stadium): about 15 minutes
105 to 110 dB (headphones at maximum, concerts): less than 5 minutes
110 dB (shouting in the ear): less than 2 minutes
120 dB and above (sirens, firecrackers): pain and possible ear injury right away
Apple's Noise app guidance for daily exposure: about 5.5 hours at 80 dB, about 1 hour 45 minutes at 85 dB, about 30 minutes at 90 dB and about 10 minutes at 95 dB can cause temporary hearing loss.

Quiet levels for home, sleep and the street

Hearing damage is not the only reason to care about noise. The CDC notes that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set 55 dBA outdoors and 45 dBA indoors as levels that avoid interference with speech and annoyance.

For traffic, the World Health Organization's environmental noise guidelines for Europe recommend keeping road traffic noise below 53 dB as a day-evening-night average, and below 45 dB at night, because higher levels are linked to health effects such as disturbed sleep. These are long-term averages measured outdoors, so a single reading in your bedroom is only a rough comparison.

Measure the sound around you with your phone

A chart tells you what a lawnmower usually reaches. A meter tells you what your own street, office or gym actually measures. A dB meter app on your phone uses the microphone to estimate the level, and our guide on how to measure decibels with your phone explains how to get a steady, honest reading.

Wring includes a dB meter alongside its water eject, dust cleaning, speaker test and tone generator tools. Hold the phone still with the microphone uncovered and watch the level for 30 to 60 seconds. The optional camera measurement mode takes a photo with the decibel reading drawn on it, which is handy as a personal record of a noisy pub or a neighbour's party. The photo is made on your phone and is not uploaded; you choose whether to save or share it.

Phone readings are approximate. They are good for comparing places and spotting risky noise, not for legal or workplace compliance. Wring is free with ads and some limits; Pro removes both.

What not to do

A few habits give wrong numbers or put your ears at risk.

Do not hold the phone right against a speaker or an engine to get a big number. Measure where people actually stand.
Do not judge a place by one spike. Watch the average over a minute.
Do not use a phone reading as proof for a legal or workplace limit. That needs a calibrated sound level meter.
Do not turn up headphones to drown out a noisy commute. You add your music on top of the noise.
Do not stay in loud noise to see how much you can take. Ringing or muffled hearing afterwards is a warning sign, not a badge.

When to see a professional

See a GP or an audiologist if your ears ring, hearing sounds muffled after loud events, or you struggle to follow conversations. A decibel chart and a meter can show that a place is loud; they cannot tell you whether your hearing has changed.

For noise at work or a formal complaint about neighbours or a venue, ask an acoustics professional or your local council which measurement they accept. A phone reading is still a useful first check before you take that step.

Quick answers

Short answers to the questions people search most about decibel levels.

How loud is 60 dB? About as loud as a normal conversation or an air conditioner. It is safe for hearing.
How loud is 70 dB? Like a running washing machine or dishwasher. Fine for short periods, but long exposure above 70 dB may start to affect hearing.
Is 85 dB too loud? It is the NIOSH limit for an 8-hour day. Above it, safe time halves with every 3 dB.
How many decibels is a whisper? About 30 dB.
How loud are headphones at full volume? Often 105 to 110 dB, where the CDC says hearing loss is possible in less than 5 minutes.
Can I measure decibels with my phone? Yes, with a sound meter app. Readings are estimates, and a blocked microphone reads low; our guide on cleaning a phone speaker grille shows how to clear fluff safely.