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Decibel chart › 78 dB
How loud is 78 decibels?
78 decibels is about as loud as an alarm clock, a garbage disposal, city traffic. 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 | 78 dB |
|---|---|
| Hearing risk | Low to moderate |
| Safe exposure (NIOSH) | No limit — safe at any duration |
What is comparable to 78 decibels?
Everyday examples of sounds around 78 decibels, each sourced to CDC, NIOSH, NIDCD and ASHA. Open any one for its own breakdown, or see the full decibel levels chart.
- Alarm clock 80 dB
- Garbage disposal 80 dB
- City traffic 80–85 dB
- Gas-powered lawn mower 80–85 dB
- Gas-powered leaf blower 80–85 dB
- Hair dryer 80–90 dB
- Kitchen blender 80–90 dB
- Generator 79–97 dB
- Movie theater 74–104 dB
Is any city as loud as 78 dB?
No city averages 78 dB. That is a sound-source level, not an ambient one. The loudest mapped cities peak around 70–75 dB by day. These are the loudest mapped.
- 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 78 decibels sound like?
78 decibels is about as loud as an alarm clock, a garbage disposal, city traffic. 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 78 decibels too loud?
78 decibels is fairly loud, about the loudness of an alarm clock, loud enough to make conversation difficult, but it stays just below the 85 dB line where hearing damage begins.
How long is 78 decibels safe to hear?
78 dB is below the 85 dB hearing-risk threshold, so there is no daily exposure limit for hearing.
How far away can you hear 78 dB?
In open air a small source measured at 78 dB from 1 m falls to about 58 dB at 10 m and 38 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 78 dB yourself
Want to know if where you are hits 78 dB? Check it live with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser, and nothing is recorded or uploaded.