Yanny or Laurel?
In 2018, a four-second recording split the world. Half the people who heard it heard 'Laurel'. The other half heard 'Yanny'.
What was reported
In May 2018, a short audio clip of a voice saying a single word spread across social media. Some listeners clearly heard 'Laurel'. Others, just as sure, heard 'Yanny'. Families, friends and colleagues argued about it, and some people heard it switch from one to the other.
The recording turned out to be an old clip from an online dictionary, of a singer pronouncing the word 'laurel'.
Explanations offered
Audio experts explained that the poor-quality recording contains sound at different frequencies. People who pay more attention to higher frequencies, often younger people, or who listen on certain speakers, tend to hear 'Yanny', and those who focus on lower ones hear 'Laurel'. It showed how much the brain fills in when we hear speech.
- When
- May 2018
- Where
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Witnesses
- Millions of people online
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Georgia