Leveling Effect:
The tendency of a solvent to make all BRONSTED ACIDs whose ACIDITY exceeds a certain value appear equally acidic. It is due to the complete transfer to a PROTOPHILIC SOLVENT of a HYDRON from a dissolved acid stronger than the CONJUGATE ACID of the solvent. The only acid present to any significantextent in all such solutions is the LYONIUM ION. For example, the solvent water has a leveling effect on the acidities of HClO4, HCl, and HI: aqueous solutions of these acids at the same (moderately low) concentrations have the same acidities. A corresponding leveling effect applies to strong bases in PROTOGENIC SOLVENTs.
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