Sure . We have an arbitrary 0 dB . This is not the absence of sound , but it ' s where we start counting . Mild loss in children is usually at 15 dB unaided . Then moderate , then severe , then profound . At 75 dB , your daughter has a severe loss . Sounds have to be at least 75 dB for her to hear them . This is very loud . Speech exists across the frequencies , generally at 30 dB and above 30 dB 0 dB . Profound is farther down the chart ~ 90 dB loss . Example , I have moderate to moderately severe loss at 4565 dB unaided . I have significant difficulty understanding speech without my aids . We use the term deaf not to describe a particular decibel loss , but rather the point at which listening is not an effective way to communicate . With my aids , I can participate meaningfully in spoken communication . I ' m hard of hearing . Your child is very young , but without deep and full access to speech with her aids , she could be considered deaf .