How loud is a normal conversation?
A normal conversation is about 60 to 70 dBA according to the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), and 55 to 65 dBA in a compiled table in Environmental Health Perspectives. Researchers often use 60 dBA at one metre as the level of a talker using normal vocal effort.
- Level
- 55–70 dBAA-weighted sound level
- Distance
- 1 mabout 1 m between talkers
- Daily limit
- No daily limitNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 1× energyabout 1.0× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Everyday speech at normal vocal effort. NIDCD gives 60 to 70 dBA without a distance; a 2022 Scientific Reports study treats normal vocal effort as 60 dBA at one metre.
Conversation is the yardstick most charts use, and the numbers vary a little because people talk at different levels and the listener's distance changes the reading. NIDCD lists normal conversation at 60 to 70 dBA. The Environmental Health Perspectives 'Counting Decibels' table lists normal conversation at 55 to 65 dBA (and a separate, quieter entry at 40 dBA), and notes that its figures are approximate.
A 2022 restaurant study in Scientific Reports describes a talker using normal vocal effort as producing 60 dBA at one metre. That study also shows why conversation gets louder in noisy rooms: people start raising their voices involuntarily (the Lombard effect) once background noise climbs past the high 50s in dB(A).
NIDCD says sounds at or below 70 dBA are unlikely to cause hearing loss even after long exposure, so ordinary conversation sits just below the level where hearing risk begins.
How long is safe?
Below 85 dBA, the level NIOSH allows for a full 8-hour day.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 dBA | No limit | No limit | Not reached in 24 h | Not reached in 24 h |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Protecting your hearing
No protection needed. If you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone about 1 m away, the background noise, not the conversation, is the problem.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Microwave oven (55–59 dBA): this has about 3.5× its sound energy and sounds about 1.5× as loud.
- Neonatal intensive care unit (55–63 dBA): this has about 2.2× its sound energy and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Operating theatre (53–78.8 dBA): it has about 2.2× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Infant sleep machine (50–85 dBA): it has about 3.2× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
Questions
How many decibels is talking?
About 60 to 70 dBA for normal conversation according to NIDCD; 60 dBA at one metre is a common reference for normal vocal effort.
Is 60 dB loud?
No. 60 dBA is roughly a normal speaking voice at conversational distance. NIDCD says sounds at or below 70 dBA are unlikely to cause hearing loss.
Sources
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, NIDCD / NIH. Supports: dB_high: 70 dBA; NIDCD range 60 to 70 dBA.
Normal conversation 60-70 dBA
Checked 2026-11-02. - Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, NIDCD / NIH. Supports: context: 70 dBA safe level.
Sounds at or below 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA), even after long exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss.
Checked 2026-11-02. - Decibel Hell: The Effects of Living in a Noisy World, Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS). Supports: dB_low: 55 dBA.
Normal conversation 55–65
Checked 2026-11-02. - Lombard effect, intelligibility, ambient noise, and willingness to spend time and money in a restaurant amongst older adults, Scientific Reports. Supports: distance: 60 dBA at 1 m.
when a talker uses a normal vocal effort (60 dBA) at one meter's distance
Checked 2026-11-02.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.