The measurement of the sound insulation of two adjacent rooms, according to the ISO recommendations, is based on the determination of the sound level, assuming the sound field to be sufficiently diffuse, at different points of the two rooms, at a given distance from the walls. In some cases, for particular requirements of quiet (in bedrooms) or of privacy (in offices or telephone booths), it may be useful to investigate the sound field in the listening room in proximity of the partition, or even in contact with the partition itself. Results are reported of laboratory measurements for some kinds of partitions, evaluating particularly the variation of transmission loss in the proximity of the partition itself. These results are accompanied by determinations of acceleration by means of a vibration-meter, on the partition when excited by the sound field of the source room. From the above results it is possible to deduce the variation of intelligibility of words uttered in the source room, as a function of the distance of the listening point from the partition wall. Considering the case of a listener whose ear is in contact with the partition, the data of acceleration measured are correlated with the results of subjective determinations in similar listening conditions. These results suggest an investigation of the possibility of evaluating the privacy of two rooms on the basis of data relative to the examined partition.