1. Plural of phon; units of loudness perceived by the human ear, where 1 phon is defined as the loudness of a 1 kHz tone at 1 decibel above the threshold of hearing.
Usage: technical; acoustics

Examples

• The sound engineer measured the noise level in phons to ensure it met safety standards.
• A whisper is typically around 30 phons, while normal conversation ranges from 50 to 60 phons.
• The loudness of the music was rated at 80 phons, making it uncomfortably loud for extended listening.
• Researchers use phons to compare how different frequencies are perceived by human hearing.