An audio illusion has taken the Internet by storm. The audio clip challenges the listener to decide if the male voice says “Yanny” or “Laurel.” Many listeners are divided over what they hear.
The audio clip was created by a speech and hearing professor named Brad Story. One video on Youtube.com garnered over 6 million viewers.
The video by AsapSCIENCE breaks down the scientific reasons why one half of the Internet hears Yanny, while the other half hears Laurel.
A recent Twitter poll found that 47% of the users hear “Yanny” while 53 percent hear “Laurel.”
AsapSCIENCE breaks down the science behind the audio illusion.
1. Priming
If you are primed to hear something before you hear it, you will be influenced by what you were told. Your brain uses existing information and precise neurological pathways to focus your attention.
2. Sound frequencies
Individuals hear sound frequencies and acoustic features differently depending on the environment they’re in or whether they are listening on a laptop, smartphone, or through headphones.
4. Age
Younger people hear more higher frequencies than older people who lose some ability to pick up higher frequencies as we age. Younger people tend to hear “Yanny” (higher frequencies) while older people might hear “Laurel” (lower frequencies).
Do you hear Yanny or Laurel? (I hear Yanny). Scroll down for the correct answer.
The original recording is saying “Laurel,” but with higher frequencies overlaid to raise doubt and spark debates.

I heard Yanny …
And this is what we choose to INVEST our time in…….like the blue or gold dress.
On another note……I heard Laurel more often than not.
chile .. i heard Laurel ….. NEXT CALLER !
Right!! It made me wonder what else was going on in the world at this time that may need more attention and focus I didn’t know anything about this recording I watched basketball last night and they talked about it I was so lost my friend had to explain to me this was something viral ?????
Yanny. Ive listened like 25 times since Sunday lol. My mom hears Laurel, my two daughters heard Yanny. My boyfriend refused to listen. He was like man go ‘head with Yanny vs. Laurel. Im tired of folks asking me. Lol.
I heard it on my drive in to work this morning. I didn’t even turn on a TV, get on IG or FB at all yesterday. I was clueless until 6:53 AM today. LOL
Team Laurel!
I’m in my 40s, and I clearly heard Yanny. Def muthaphuckas
Who has that much time on his/her hands. Must be nice!
Me too
Uhhh I don’t hear either…
This is a distraction folks…idk from what but thats all it is…
I heard Yanny
Oop lol
omg i was annoyed i keep seeing this everywhere!!
this is just like the black/blue/white/gold dress lol
Mind control experiments…
Laurel
Yanny…. aint no damn Laurel being said…next caseee
Fun.
And educational.
LMAO
Chile, I ain’t got the ‘tention span for this here. Im going back over to Youtube where Luther Vandross is singing his heart out To Meeee! ???
My energy ain’t for this type of nonsense. I’ll let y’all have it? ?
Laurel. That mean’s I’m older. I full on expected to hear Yanny.
I heard my boss is leaving early, so I guess we’re all done working for the day.
Me too.
hahahahaha, LMAO
This my first time hearing it. Just now, lol
ivebeen saying the same thing…..how in the hell you hear Laurel when it’s clearly Yanny…LOL
Lol funny reply
The 1st time I heard it , I heard Yanny and the 2nd time Laurel
What does that make me? middle-aged
I don’t have the patience for this lol. Same with the dress I refused.
They’re def and have old azz ears lmaooooooooooo
I kept hearing Laurel until they switched the pitch.
i only hear laurel. legit baffled by the yanny.
I hear/heard yanny! Um still baffled about y I am not hearing laurel
it straight up says laurel
People have no lives
Who cares
I hear distraction…. lol
I need to figure out something really dumb and inconsequential to do for America. in this tech age, we are so dumbed down and turned on by the littlest thing that is meaningless and then we dismiss life threatening things. It’s just irratting.Old ears, young ears. This country tells you that everything is wrong with you, nothing right, EVER! Your boobs are small, you booty is small, your lips are thin, everything that WE are that THEY aspire to be is coveted, but only on the blank, white canvas. WHATEVER!! FOH
They created two different recordings to fool ppl. When you click the link. you either obviously here one or the other, CUZ THAT’s what they’re saying. Dumb ass sh*t
I hear both ?????
Bloop
What kind of reptilian distraction is this shyt …. ?
Lol right
lol
LOL
oKAY! As soon as he mentioned the subconscience, I’m like oh boy, here we go. lol
LOL! Right!
LAurel
And I’m a youngish
I hear Yanny.
that means im young lol?
Who cares? Cut the bull. What they covering up now? I’m sick of all these distractions.
I’m young bih ?. #yanny
Wait!!! I’m 33 and I heard laurel ???
It don’t make no sense … ?
O I just seen this post! I was over in the other one lol.. Ok. Jus so y’all know I hear both at the same damn time!! So am I special??!!!
Lol, me either, my dam nerves wont allow it…
I hear Yanny and I’m over 40….soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I’m no youngster but I heard Yanny….
LOLLOLLOL!!!!!!
Haha me too
I’m old and I hear Laurel.
Listened to original recording, and clearly heard Laurel.
How old ?
I’m young in my mind. 26 hunny. but I heard laurel…how sway…
??
LAUREL ALL THE WAY! I have lived in Laurel for over 25 years, so I know that word inside and out
Wtf ? Unless folks are “trolling” in these comments, this is interesting. I clearly hear Laurel every time..
With my headphones plugged in, I hear Yanny. With them unplugged, I hear Laurel.
this video says YANNY – the other video I heard on FB clearly says LAUREL…I think its several different videos and they just screwing with us.
There are so many important things to worry about than a stupid recording, people get so rapped up in the silliest crap!
This is stupid.
The professor who created the audio clip is simply testing to see whether listeners can hear higher frequencies.
The original audio says “Laurel,” but the tape was altered by adding higher frequencies to sound like “Yanny.”
If you hear Yanny, that means you can hear the higher frequencies. If you hear Laurel, that means you can’t hear the higher frequencies.
Google “high frequency hearing loss” to see why you don’t hear Yanny.
Your hearing is fine. The tape was altered to add higher frequencies. That’s why you hear “Yanny.” Those who can’t hear the high frequencies hear Laurel.
That’s because the headphones concentrates the higher frequencies so you can hear them, but when you take the headphones off, the higher frequencies are dissipated in the atmosphere. So you hear Laurel.
A dog’s hearing is twice as good as a human’s. Dogs can hear sounds in the high frequency range. The audio is altered to add high frequency sounds to make it sound like Yanny. If you hear “Yanny,” it means your hearing is almost as good as a dog’s. ?
I heard Laurel
Sometimes I hear yenny and sometimes I hear laurel, but there have been times I’ve heard them both *shrug*
I heard Yanny, nothing in my hearing heard Laurel.
That means you can hear higher frequencies than the people who hear Laurel.
lol. I’m 48, so if I guess I have young ass ears.
“but with higher frequencies overlaid to raise doubt and spark debates.”
This is the main point of the entire ‘debate’. The clip used in this debate was well done audio design using some dsp tools to create this illusion. Though I don’t see anyone mentioning that anywhere.