Cole Malone
In 2018, a computer-generated sound caused debate among the world, as some people heard the name “Laurel” in a deep voice, while others heard “Yanny” in a higher pitched voice. Which name do you hear?
Several experts across the world have tried to explain why this phenomenon occurs. There are some occurrences where a sound is played, and you can hear several different words if you put your mind to it. This is not the case for this sound, though, because there is a lack of ambiguity. One professor suggests that the frequencies of the sounds of the letters “L” and “Y” are the explanation. He suggests the frequencies of the “Y” sound may have been artificially increased, whereas the “L” sound may have a lower frequency. “L” and “Y” sounds are already made up of several different frequencies, making the brain very confused if these are altered.
Additionally, when the brain is unsure of something, it uses surrounding cues to help itself. For instance, if you heard someone say the world “Laurel” recently, you might be more likely to hear Laurel over Yanny. Furthermore, if you have a more personal history with the name Laurel rather than Yanny, you are more likely to hear Laurel. In the video above, you see the word “Laurel” pop up before “Yanny”, and this slight cue may be enough for your brain to decide you’re hearing the name Laurel.
People around the world have tried to find a define explanation for this, and there are several different factors that go into what your brain is doing. One study found that if you lower and/or raise the pitch of the sound, you may hear the other name. For what it’s worth, I hear Laurel, and it appears that most people do too. What name do you hear?