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 perceived by listeners to be equally as loud as the sound being measured. The loudness level, in phons, of the measured sound is then equal to the sound-pressure level, in decibels, of the adjusted reference sound above the standard reference level, which is the minimum audible threshold. A variation of one phon in the loudness level of a sound is approximately the smallest change in sound-pressure level detectable by the human ear under normal listening conditions.