A short audio clip taken from the internet is confusing people around the world. Some people think they hear the word “Laurel” while others are convinced it says “Yanny.”
So what is the voice actually saying ?
The clip was made by Broadway actor and singer Jay Aubrey Jones, 64, who recorded the word ‘laurel’ back in 2007.
That’s right, laurel.
The New Jersey native revealed he is trained in pronunciation and recorded the word for Vocabulary.com in 2007.
Ok now we know it’s actually saying Laurel, so why do people hear different things from the same recording?
Basically, people who are more attuned to the high frequencies pick up on the sounds that make it sound like Yanny.
If you can’t hear those higher frequencies then it will sound more like Laurel.
However, this doesn’t explain why someone would hear the lower frequencies and some hear the higher frequencies in the first place. Audio equipment could play a major role here. So if you’re listening on your iphone or laptop or cheap headphones you may hear something completely different compared to if you were listing through a high quality sound system.
In addition to this the shape of your ear can actually play a vital role to the frequencies you pick up.
Whilst hearing Laurel or Yanny has nothing to do with whether or not you have a hearing problem, if you are concerned about your hearing Katie Rahman, the owner and principal clinician of Hear Clear Australia is available to help guide you to better hearing. She is passionate about giving her clients the best hearing outcomes, so call us now to book an appointment on 9651 7379
