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Decibel chart › 72 dB
How loud is 72 decibels?
72 decibels is about as loud as a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, a dishwasher. It stays below the 85 dB line where hearing damage begins — fine for a normal day. On the decibel scale, each 10 dB step sounds roughly twice as loud. Measure it yourself with Decibel Shield's free online decibel meter.
Last updated:
| Sound level | 72 dB |
|---|---|
| Hearing risk | Low to moderate |
| Safe exposure (NIOSH) | No limit — safe at any duration |
What is comparable to 72 decibels?
Everyday examples of sounds around 72 decibels, each sourced to CDC, NIOSH, NIDCD and ASHA. Open any one for its own breakdown, or see the full decibel levels chart.
- Vacuum cleaner 70–75 dB
- Washing machine 70 dB
- Dishwasher 70 dB
- Normal conversation 60–70 dB
- Movie theater 74–104 dB
Cities where 72 dB is the street level
72 dB is an everyday outdoor level in some cities. These pages show official noise-map noise for a whole city: the share of residents at 70 dBA or more in the US, and the daytime range from official noise maps in Europe and the UK.
- Orange, CA 4.4% of residents at 70 dBA or more
- Terni 55–75 dB by day
- Hastings 55–75 dB by day
What does 72 decibels sound like?
72 decibels is about as loud as a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, a dishwasher. It stays below the 85 dB line where hearing damage begins — fine for a normal day. On the decibel scale, each 10 dB step sounds roughly twice as loud. Measure it yourself with Decibel Shield's free online decibel meter.
Is 72 decibels too loud?
72 decibels is fairly loud, about the loudness of a vacuum cleaner, loud enough to make conversation difficult, but it stays just below the 85 dB line where hearing damage begins.
How long is 72 decibels safe to hear?
72 dB is below the 85 dB hearing-risk threshold, so there is no daily exposure limit for hearing.
How far away can you hear 72 dB?
In open air a small source measured at 72 dB from 1 m falls to about 52 dB at 10 m and 32 dB at 100 m, losing 6 dB each time the distance doubles. You keep hearing it while it stays above the background level around you: farther in a quiet field at night, much less on a 60 dB street. Walls, ground and wind change the figure.
Work out any distance, or a line source such as a road, with the sound distance calculator.
Measure 72 dB yourself
Want to know if where you are hits 72 dB? Check it live with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser, and nothing is recorded or uploaded.