What every hearing level in decibels is called

The clinical categories used in most United States clinics

The WHO 2021 grades

The same threshold, two different names

Common questions

Why do two hearing loss charts disagree about the same number?

Because they are two different classifications built for different purposes. The United States clinical convention sets normal hearing up to 25 dB HL, used day to day in clinics. The World Health Organization's 2021 grades set no impairment only up to 19 dB HL, used for global population statistics. Neither is wrong; a single threshold can land in a different named category depending on which scale is applied.

Is 20 dB hearing loss considered normal?

On the United States clinical scale, yes: normal hearing runs to 25 dB HL, so 20 dB HL falls inside the normal range. On the World Health Organization's 2021 scale, no impairment stops at 19 dB HL, so the same 20 dB HL is graded mild. Both statements are correct on their own scale, which is exactly why this page shows both rather than one.

What does moderate hearing loss mean in decibels?

On the United States clinical scale, moderate hearing loss runs from 41 to 55 dB HL, where conversation at a normal level is typically difficult to follow without amplification. On the World Health Organization's 2021 scale, moderate runs from 35 to 49 dB HL instead. Both figures describe a pure tone average across 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz, not a single frequency.

What is the difference between moderate and moderately severe hearing loss?

On the United States clinical scale, moderate runs 41 to 55 dB HL, where normal-level speech is typically hard to follow without amplification, while moderately severe runs 56 to 70 dB HL, where speech generally has to be raised well above a normal level to be followed at all. It is a difference in how much a speaker has to compensate, not a different type of loss.

Which scale do over the counter hearing aids use?

The FDA's 2022 rule describes over the counter hearing aids as intended for adults 18 and over with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, language that maps most directly onto the United States clinical categories shown above, roughly 26 to 55 dB HL. Severe and profound loss, loss in one ear only, and any hearing that has not been evaluated fall outside that intended range.

Can I use this chart to find out my own hearing loss category?

No. This chart shows what a threshold is called once it has already been measured; it cannot measure anything itself, and no web page or phone app can perform a real hearing test. Finding out an actual category requires an audiogram from a licensed audiologist or hearing aid dispenser, which is the only way to get a real pure tone average to look up.