The purpose of the phon is to provide a logarithmic measurement (like decibels) for perceived sound magnitude, while the primary loudness standard methods result in a linear representation.

Using the rule of thumb for loudness, the sone scale was created to provide such a linear scale of loudness. It is usually presumed that the standard range for orchestral music is about 40 to 100 phons.

phon, unit of loudness level. The loudness level of a sound is a subjective, rather than an objective, measure. To measure loudness, the volume of a 1,000- hertz reference tone is adjusted until it is …

PHON- definition: variant of phono- before a vowel. See examples of phon- used in a sentence.

A unit of apparent loudness, equal in number to the intensity in decibels of a 1,000-hertz tone perceived to be as loud as the sound being measured....

It is important to realize that the phon is used only to describe sounds that are equally loud. It cannot be used to measure relationships between sounds of differing loudness.

A phon is a unit of perceived loudness level for pure tones. It is numerically equal to the sound pressure level in decibels (dB) of a 1 kHz tone that is perceived as equally loud.

phon in American English (fɑn) noun a unit for measuring the apparent loudness of a sound, equal in number for a given sound to the intensity in decibels of a sound having a frequency of 1000 cycles …

Oct 3, 2025 · phon (plural phons) (acoustics) A unit of apparent loudness, equal in number to the intensity in decibels of a 1,000-hertz tone judged to be as loud as the sound being measured.

The phon is a logarithmic unit of loudness level for tones and complex sounds. Loudness is measured in sones, a linear unit.