In terms of sound level, what SNR would indicate a higher background noise compared to speech?

The concept of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) is crucial in understanding how background noise affects speech perception. A negative SNR indicates that the background noise level is higher than the speech level. In this case, a SNR of -20 dB suggests that the background noise is significantly louder than the speech, making it difficult to understand or perceive what is being said.

In contrast, a positive SNR, such as +10 dB or +20 dB, indicates that the speech is louder than the background noise, which would facilitate better understanding of the spoken words. A SNR of 0 dB means that the levels of speech and background noise are equal, leading to a challenging auditory environment, but it still does not mean the noise predominates over the speech.

Thus, a SNR of -20 dB clearly signifies a scenario where background noise is more prominent than the speech, aligning with the question’s requirement for indicating a higher background noise compared to speech.