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How loud is a whisper?

20–30dBdistance not stated

A whisper is about 20 to 30 dB. The CDC puts a soft whisper at 30 dB and says a whisper is about 30 dB, as does BBC Future; Purdue University's noise chart and Guinness World Records give 20 dB. None states a distance.

Level
20–30 dBunweighted sound level
Daily limit
No daily limitNIOSH, at the loud end

What the numbers mean

How it was measured. A soft whisper as listed in reference charts. CDC and BBC Future give 30 dB; Purdue University and Guinness World Records give 20 dB. Distance and weighting not stated.

CDC's chart of everyday sounds lists a soft whisper at 30 dB, 20 dB above normal breathing and 30 dB below normal conversation (60 dB). BBC Future also gives about 30 decibels for a human whisper.

Purdue University's noise comparison groups 'whisper, rustling leaves' at 20 dB, and Guinness World Records also uses 20 dB for a whisper. The spread reflects how hard someone is whispering and how close the listener is; a whisper right into your ear will be louder than either figure.

The National Park Service uses the whisper as a yardstick: it describes 20 dBA on remote Grand Canyon trails as 'softer than a whisper'.

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. Whispering is far below levels that can harm hearing.

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).

  • Normal breathing (10 dB): this has about 32× its sound energy and sounds about 2.8× as loud.
  • Ticking watch (20 dB): this has about 3.2× its sound energy and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
  • Quiet rural area (30 dB): it has about 3.2× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
  • Quiet library (40–44 dB): it has about 50× the sound energy of this and sounds about 3.2× as loud.

Questions

How many decibels is a whisper?

About 30 dB according to the CDC and BBC Future, or 20 dB according to Purdue University and Guinness World Records.

How much quieter is a whisper than talking?

CDC lists a soft whisper at 30 dB and normal conversation at 60 dB, a 30 dB difference.

Sources

  1. What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: dB_high: 30 dB.Soft whisper 30Checked 2026-11-02.
  2. What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: dB_high: about 30 dB.A whisper is about 30 dBChecked 2026-11-02.
  3. Inside the quietest place on Earth, BBC Future. Supports: dB_high: about 30 dB.a human whisper is about 30 decibels while the sound of someone breathing normally comes in at just 10 decibelsChecked 2026-11-02.
  4. Noise Comparisons (Noise Sources and Their Effects), Purdue University Department of Chemistry, Chemical Safety. Supports: dB_low: 20 dB.Whisper, rustling leaves 20Checked 2026-11-02.
  5. Loudest insect, Guinness World Records. Supports: dB_low: 20 dB.Rustling leaves rates at about 10 dB, a whisper is 20 dBChecked 2026-11-02.
  6. Understanding Sound - Natural Sounds, U.S. National Park Service. Supports: body: NPS whisper comparison.Along some remote trails in Grand Canyon National Park, sound levels, at 20 dBA, are softer than a whisper.Checked 2026-11-02.
  7. What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: body/faq: normal conversation 60 dB.Normal conversation, air conditioner 60Checked 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.