What Every Hearing Level in Decibels Is Called

A page for every hearing level from 0 to 120 decibels in 5 decibel steps: what the common clinical convention calls that threshold, what the World Health Organization grades call it, and what the difference between the two means. These pages describe what a chart says. They do not assess anybody.

25 pages in this section. Trade and clinical conventions, taught everywhere and published as a standard by nobody.

• What Does 0 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 0 decibels hearing level is recorded as normal hearing on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as no impairment under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 5 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 5 decibels hearing level is recorded as normal hearing on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as no impairment under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 10 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 10 decibels hearing level is recorded as normal hearing on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as no impairment under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 15 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 15 decibels hearing level is recorded as normal hearing on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as no impairment under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 20 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 20 decibels hearing level is recorded as normal hearing on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as mild under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 25 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 25 decibels hearing level is recorded as normal hearing on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as mild under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 30 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 30 decibels hearing level is recorded as mild hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as mild under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 35 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 35 decibels hearing level is recorded as mild hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as moderate under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 40 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 40 decibels hearing level is recorded as mild hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as moderate under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 45 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 45 decibels hearing level is recorded as moderate hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as moderate under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 50 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 50 decibels hearing level is recorded as moderate hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as moderately severe under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 55 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 55 decibels hearing level is recorded as moderate hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as moderately severe under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 60 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 60 decibels hearing level is recorded as moderately severe hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as moderately severe under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 65 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 65 decibels hearing level is recorded as moderately severe hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as severe under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 70 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 70 decibels hearing level is recorded as moderately severe hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as severe under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 75 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 75 decibels hearing level is recorded as severe hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as severe under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 80 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 80 decibels hearing level is recorded as severe hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as profound under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 85 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 85 decibels hearing level is recorded as severe hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as profound under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 90 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 90 decibels hearing level is recorded as severe hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as profound under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 95 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 95 decibels hearing level is recorded as profound hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as complete or total hearing loss under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 100 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 100 decibels hearing level is recorded as profound hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as complete or total hearing loss under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 105 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 105 decibels hearing level is recorded as profound hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as complete or total hearing loss under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 110 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 110 decibels hearing level is recorded as profound hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as complete or total hearing loss under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 115 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 115 decibels hearing level is recorded as profound hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as complete or total hearing loss under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.
• What Does 120 dB Hearing Level Mean A threshold of 120 decibels hearing level is recorded as profound hearing loss on the severity scale used in routine United States audiology practice, and as complete or total hearing loss under the World Health Organization 2021 grades.

Not medical advice, not a hearing test, not a diagnosis. Everything in this section is general information compiled from published standards, regulatory classifications, manufacturer specifications and the consensus of verified owner reviews. The charts explain what a measurement shows. They cannot tell you what your hearing is, and nothing on this site can measure it. Only a licensed audiologist or physician can evaluate hearing. If hearing changed suddenly, affects one ear only, or comes with pain, drainage, dizziness or ringing alongside weakness or numbness, contact a doctor promptly rather than reading a chart.