The Y-axis (vertical) measures the intensity, or loudness, of the sound. It’s measured in decibels (dB) and ranges from -10 to 120 on the audiogram. Low-decibel sounds include whispers.

The audiogram of a person with normal hearing might look like this, showing that they can hear soft sounds that fall between 0 and 20 decibels. The area in blue shows the frequencies and decibel ...