Laurel or Yanny? BU Hearing Sciences Expert Explains Auditory Phenomenon
Ability to hear different frequencies determines name heard
Some people are better at hearing high frequencies than others, explains Boston University hearing sciences professor Tyler Perrachione in an interview with WIRED. This may explain whether you hear “Laurel” or “Yanny” in the audio clip that has taken the internet by storm.
The different speech sounds we hear depend on the frequency of the noise being made, Perrachione says. He explains that “Laurel” is a low frequency sound, and “Yanny” is a high frequency sound.
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