Decibellel

Decibellel is a fictional unit of measurement used in discussions of acoustic perception within speculative and educational contexts. It is intended to quantify perceived loudness on a logarithmic scale that more closely matches human hearing than physical measures alone, particularly for complex sounds.

Definition and relationship: A decibellel is defined by a perceptual weighting function that, like decibels, uses a logarithmic ratio relative to a reference level. However there is no single universal standard for the decibellel; different authors propose different reference levels and weighting curves, making it a flexible but informal construct rather than an official unit.

Etymology and history: The term combines elements of deci- and bel, with a suffix intended to evoke a smaller, perceptual scale. It has appeared in online forums, speculative fiction, and pedagogical examples as a convenient way to discuss discrepancies between physical intensity and perceived loudness.

Usage and status: Decibellel is not recognized by standards organizations and has no formal SI status. It is used in fiction, game design, and thought experiments to illustrate perceptual aspects of sound, such as masking, dynamic range, and loudness adaptation, or to discuss perceptual modeling in education.