Yanny or Laurel

Ellen DeGeneres talked about them, and even the highest levels of government weighed in!

Yes, it’s that recording that everyone is talking about.

They may be the most famous people who broke the internet and divided the netizen, if not the world, this May.  Whether you hear it on twitter or facebook or your colleague shared it with you, do you hear both Yanny and Laurel? Or do you participate in some polls and vote for either Yanny or Laurel?

Yanny or LaurelTo many, it is a reminder of the ever so popular white and gold – blue and black dress.  We were used to having our eyes deceived us, say hello to optical illusions.  So, when Laurel and Yanny were introduced, it is something new! For sure, our speech therapists and audiologists who have the technical know-how can explain the craze very well.  But for the ones who don’t know, they keep on asking, how is that even possible? How come our ears hear different names?! It’s a mystery.  Hence, the many why’s and eagerness to hear both.

Others would agree that we hear different names because of the frequency range and the age of the person listening to the recording.  While some argued that adjusting pitch, volume or bass could help to hear both Yanny and Laurel! We collected different opinions and explanations from experts that have been published on various sites.

 

  • Here’s what happens on the internet:

“Yanny” Or “Laurel”: What Is Happening In This Recording???? By BuzzFeed

 

  • Scientists explained their take:

Here’s What Scientists Have To Say About That “Yanny” And “Laurel” Recording by BuzzFeed

 

  • And this is an interview with a neuroscientist studying speech and language:

Neuroscientist Explains the Laurel vs. Yanny Phenomenon | WIRED

 

  • ASHA published an article, too! What audiologists and SLPs say about the audio clip?

Is It ‘Yanny’ or ‘Laurel’? The Internet Wants Answers

 

  • Just in case you want to hear both Yanny and Laurel, yes it’s now possible, thanks to NYtimes;

We Made a Tool So You Can Hear Both Yanny and Laurel

 

  • If you’re wondering who is the owner and where the original clip came from? Does the clip say Yanny or Laurel? You can find the answers here: (finally!)

Yanny or Laurel? How a Sound Clip Divided America

 

We are not affiliated with any organization mentioned in this article.  Whether for entertainment or additional knowledge or even part of better hearing and speech month celebration or for any other reasons you have, we are sharing this with you to help answer your questions on this viral topic.  We also don’t know who Yanny and Laurel are! But one thing is for sure that out of all the debate, Yanny and Laurel taught us that for every sense, and every component of human judgment, there are illusions and ambiguities we interpret arbitrarily.  Whether it’s Team Yanny or Team Laurel who won, we can conclude that things we hear are not always accurate and true; to pay attention, to do a little research and to listen by heart will lead us to the right answer and story!