How loud is a ticking watch?
A ticking watch is about 20 dB. CDC's chart of everyday sounds lists a ticking watch at 20 dB, and a NOAA hearing conservation table also puts 'watch ticking' at 20 dB, alongside rustling leaves.
- Level
- 20 dBunweighted sound level
- Daily limit
- No daily limitNIOSH, at the loud end
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. A mechanical watch ticking, as listed in CDC and NOAA reference charts. Distance and weighting not stated.
Twenty decibels sits between normal breathing (10 dB) and a soft whisper (30 dB) on CDC's scale. Neither CDC nor NOAA gives a measurement distance; a watch held to the ear will be louder than one lying on a bedside table.
Because it is so faint, a ticking watch is easily masked. Purdue University's chart puts a library at 40 dB, and in a room at that level a 20 dB tick is hard to pick out.
Is it safe?
Below 85 dBA, the level NIOSH allows for a full 8-hour day. (This figure is not A-weighted; treat it as a rough guide.) At this level, sound is not a hearing risk however long it lasts, though it can still disturb sleep or concentration.
Protecting your hearing
No protection needed. If a ticking clock keeps you awake, moving it a few metres away or using foam earplugs is usually enough.
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).
- Threshold of hearing (0 dB): this has about 100× its sound energy and sounds about 4.0× as loud.
- Normal breathing (10 dB): this has about 10× its sound energy and sounds about 2.0× as loud.
- Whisper (20–30 dB): it has about 3.2× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
- Quiet rural area (30 dB): it has about 10× the sound energy of this and sounds about 2.0× as loud.
Questions
How many decibels is a ticking watch?
About 20 dB, according to CDC and NOAA charts.
Is a ticking clock louder than a whisper?
No. CDC lists a ticking watch at 20 dB and a soft whisper at 30 dB.
Sources
- What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: dB_low/dB_high: 20 dB.
Ticking watch 20
Checked 2026-11-02. - Hearing Conservation (archived 2009 copy, End of Term Web Archive), NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Supports: dB: 20 dB.
20 Watch Ticking, Leaves Rustling
Checked 2026-11-02. - What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: body: breathing comparison.
Normal breathing 10
Checked 2026-11-02. - What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: body: whisper comparison.
Soft whisper 30
Checked 2026-11-02. - Noise Comparisons (Noise Sources and Their Effects), Purdue University Department of Chemistry, Chemical Safety. Supports: body: library comparison.
Library, bird calls (44 dB); lowest limit of urban ambient sound 40
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.