How loud is a wolf howl?
A grey wolf's howl peaks at about 117 dB at 1 m. A 2021 review of the loudest animal vocalisations lists the wolf at a peak source level of 117 dB re 20 µPa at 1 m, from field measurements, the same figure it gives for a lion.
- Level
- 117 dBA peakA-weighted peak sound pressure level
- Distance
- 1 m1 m
- Daily limit
- Impulse below 140 dB peakimpulse noise
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Peak source level of the grey wolf (Canis lupus lupus) howl, 117 dB re 20 µPa at 1 m, from field measurements (Suter et al., as tabulated by Jakobsen et al. 2021, which lists the original measurement as A-weighted).
Jakobsen and colleagues (2021) compiled the highest reliable source levels for animals in air. Their table lists the grey wolf (Canis lupus lupus) at a peak of 117 dB re 20 µPa at 1 m, from field measurements by Suter and colleagues, with the original measurement A-weighted.
In the same table the lion also reaches 117 dB and the African elephant 120 dB, so a wolf howl ranks among the loudest land-mammal calls. Hardly anyone hears a wolf from 1 m; at the distances people usually hear wild wolves the level is far lower.
How dangerous is a 117 dB peak?
Peaks of 117 dB stay under the 140 dB impulse limit, but repeated impulses add to the daily dose and the UK and EU action values start at a 135 dB(C) peak.
| Rule | Peak limit | This sound |
|---|---|---|
| UK and EU lower exposure action value | 135 dB(C) | Below |
| UK and EU upper exposure action value | 137 dB(C) | Below |
| UK and EU exposure limit value; NIOSH and OSHA impulse ceiling | 140 dB | Below |
Protecting your hearing
No risk at the distances people normally hear wolves.
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.
Questions
How many decibels is a wolf howl?
About 117 dB peak at 1 m, according to a 2021 review of animal source levels.
Is a wolf louder than a lion?
They are about equal: the same review lists both at a peak of 117 dB at 1 m.
Sources
- How Loud Can you go? Physical and Physiological Constraints to Producing High Sound Pressures in Animal Vocalizations, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Jakobsen et al., 2021). Supports: dB_low/dB_high: 117 dB peak at 1 m.
Canis lupus lupus 117 139
Checked 2026-11-02. - How Loud Can you go? Physical and Physiological Constraints to Producing High Sound Pressures in Animal Vocalizations, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Jakobsen et al., 2021). Supports: metric/distance: peak dB re 20 µPa at 1 m.
(peak dB re 20 μPa at 1 m)
Checked 2026-11-02. - How Loud Can you go? Physical and Physiological Constraints to Producing High Sound Pressures in Animal Vocalizations, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Jakobsen et al., 2021). Supports: body/faq: lion comparison.
Panthera leo 117 134 Larom et al., 1997
Checked 2026-11-02. - How Loud Can you go? Physical and Physiological Constraints to Producing High Sound Pressures in Animal Vocalizations, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Jakobsen et al., 2021). Supports: body: elephant comparison.
Loxodonta africana 120 127 Poole et al., 1988
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.