Levels of deafness and hearing loss
Read our information on the different levels of deafness, from mild to profound.
Every deaf person is an individual and experiences deafness in a different way. But it can be helpful to describe deafness in levels. It can help other people understand how someone experiences deafness and their level of hearing.
Levels are linked to the range of decibels you can hear. Decibels (dB) are a unit of measurement for the loudness of sound.
Mild deafness (21 to 40dB)
A person with mild deafness can hear everything people say to them in a quiet room without hearing aids or cochlear implants. But if there's lots of noise, or if the person speaking is far away or whispering, they might find it hard to hear.
Moderate deafness (41 to 70dB)
A person with moderate deafness can hear a baby’s cry or when someone talks to them in a quiet room without hearing aids or cochlear implants. If there's lots of noise, or the person speaking is far away, then they might find it harder to hear.
Severe deafness (71 to 95dB)
A person with severe deafness cannot hear someone speaking to them without hearing aids or cochlear implants, but they might be able to hear loud sounds like a dog barking or drums.
Profound deafness (95dB)
A person with profound deafness cannot hear someone talking to them without hearing aids or cochlear implants, but they may sometimes hear or feel very loud sounds, like lorries passing in the street.
Total deafness
Sometimes, but not very often, someone may have no hearing at all. They cannot hear any sounds, even when using hearing aids. They may be able to feel very loud sounds, like vibrations of bass through a speaker.
An audiologist can do a test to find out your or your child’s level of deafness. They will plot your test results on an audiogram, which is a kind of chart. They will use this to show you your child’s level of deafness.
Frequencies
Frequencies are the pitch at which a sound is heard. It is measured in Hertz (Hz).
It’s possible to have the same level of deafness for all frequencies or to have different hearing levels at different frequencies.
Your audiologist will be able to explain your child’s audiogram and give you information about the frequencies affected by your child’s deafness.
'Understanding your child's hearing tests'
Our free guide to hearing tests has more information on audiograms, including audiogram templates which you can use to keep track of your child's hearing levels.
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk