What does LKFS stand for?

• A. Loudness, K weighted Full Scale
• B. Loudness, K weighted Standard
• C. Loudness, Known Frequency Scale
• D. Level Kilohertz Full Scale

Answer: (A)

LKFS stands for Loudness, K-weighted, Full Scale. The “Loudness” part reflects how loud something feels to a listener over time, not just a single peak level. The “K-weighted” part means the measurement uses the K-weighting filter, which shapes the frequency response to match human hearing’s sensitivity across the spectrum. The “Full Scale” part refers to the digital reference level, the maximum possible digital level (0 dBFS), so measurements are reported relative to that full-scale reference. This combination provides a single, standardized value for integrated loudness in broadcasting, making it possible to compare programs and enforce consistent loudness targets. The other options don’t fit because they misstate the weighting (as a standard) or introduce unrelated terms (known frequency, kilohertz level), which aren’t how LKFS is defined.