How many decibels is rustling leaves?

Rustling leaves is typically around 20 decibels A-weighted, measured at a usual listening distance. That figure is a representative level rather than a measurement of any particular object, and the real level changes with distance, with the enclosure the sound is in, and with the specific equipment involved. Doubling your distance from a point source reduces the level by roughly 6 decibels.

What does A-weighted mean?

A-weighting is a filter applied to a sound level measurement that approximates how sensitive human hearing is at different frequencies. Human hearing is far less sensitive to very low frequencies than to mid frequencies, so an unweighted measurement overstates how loud a bass heavy sound seems. Almost every figure quoted in hearing conservation is A-weighted, which is why it is written dBA.

At what level does hearing protection become necessary?

The NIOSH recommended exposure limit begins at 85 decibels A-weighted averaged over an eight hour day. Above that, the permissible time halves for every 3 decibel increase, so 88 dBA allows four hours and 94 dBA allows one. The separate OSHA enforceable limit begins at 90 dBA and uses a 5 decibel exchange rate, which permits considerably longer.

Why are decibels not linear?

The decibel is a logarithmic ratio, which is why 20 decibels is not twice 10. An increase of 10 decibels corresponds to roughly a tenfold increase in sound intensity and is usually perceived as about twice as loud. The scale is logarithmic because the range of intensities human hearing covers is enormous, and a linear scale would be unusable.

Can I measure this myself?

Yes, with a sound level meter, which is an inexpensive handheld instrument. A phone app gives a rough indication and is useful for deciding whether a room is obviously loud, but a phone microphone is not calibrated and its reading should not be treated as a figure. If you are measuring to decide about hearing protection at work, the measurement that matters is a time weighted average rather than a peak.

How loud is rustling leaves

Quick answer

Rustling leaves measures roughly 20 decibels A-weighted at a usual listening distance. That is below 85 dBA, the level at which the NIOSH recommended exposure limit begins, so no exposure time limit applies.

How loud is rustling leaves compared with everything else?

Decibels are logarithmic rather than linear, which is why the numbers behave so unintuitively. An increase of 10 decibels is roughly a tenfold increase in sound intensity, and every 3 decibel increase halves how long the NIOSH recommended limit considers an exposure acceptable.

Published figure From a named standards body, regulator or professional classification. Reproduced here, not derived by us.

Rustling leaves sits at about 20 dBA, alongside few other everyday sounds.

Sounds at or near 20 dBA
Sound	Typical level (dBA)
Rustling leaves	20

Typical A-weighted levels at a usual listening distance. Real levels vary with distance, enclosure and the specific equipment.

Is this level a risk?

No exposure time limit applies below 85 decibels A-weighted, which is where the NIOSH recommended exposure limit begins. Rustling leaves at around 20 dBA sits under that threshold. Levels in this range are relevant to comfort and to how easily speech can be followed, not to hearing conservation.

What a level like this is genuinely useful for is calibration. Ordinary conversation runs around 60 dBA, and a great deal of the difficulty people report is difficulty following speech at that level against background noise at a similar one.

Common questions

How many decibels is rustling leaves?: Rustling leaves is typically around 20 decibels A-weighted, measured at a usual listening distance. That figure is a representative level rather than a measurement of any particular object, and the real level changes with distance, with the enclosure the sound is in, and with the specific equipment involved. Doubling your distance from a point source reduces the level by roughly 6 decibels.
What does A-weighted mean?: A-weighting is a filter applied to a sound level measurement that approximates how sensitive human hearing is at different frequencies. Human hearing is far less sensitive to very low frequencies than to mid frequencies, so an unweighted measurement overstates how loud a bass heavy sound seems. Almost every figure quoted in hearing conservation is A-weighted, which is why it is written dBA.
At what level does hearing protection become necessary?: The NIOSH recommended exposure limit begins at 85 decibels A-weighted averaged over an eight hour day. Above that, the permissible time halves for every 3 decibel increase, so 88 dBA allows four hours and 94 dBA allows one. The separate OSHA enforceable limit begins at 90 dBA and uses a 5 decibel exchange rate, which permits considerably longer.
Why are decibels not linear?: The decibel is a logarithmic ratio, which is why 20 decibels is not twice 10. An increase of 10 decibels corresponds to roughly a tenfold increase in sound intensity and is usually perceived as about twice as loud. The scale is logarithmic because the range of intensities human hearing covers is enormous, and a linear scale would be unusable.
Can I measure this myself?: Yes, with a sound level meter, which is an inexpensive handheld instrument. A phone app gives a rough indication and is useful for deciding whether a room is obviously loud, but a phone microphone is not calibrated and its reading should not be treated as a figure. If you are measuring to decide about hearing protection at work, the measurement that matters is a time weighted average rather than a peak.

Get the complete hearing gear list

Every item in the starter, everyday and full setups, with running totals, in one printable list. It opens with a hearing evaluation, because that is genuinely the first step. No charge.

One list, no sequence of daily emails, and you can leave at any time.

Last updated 2026-09-17.