Sound level is commonly taken to mean sound pressure level

Evidence

These different means of describing and measuring sound amplitudes can be confusing and one must be careful to ascertain which one is being used in a given context. In general, a reference to sound level implies that the SPL is being used because the pressure component can be measured easily and corresponds most closely to what we hear. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 198

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes why SPL dominates acoustic discourse: the pressure component measures easily and matches hearing.