Doctors Weigh In On 'Yanny Vs. Laurel' Debate

A local audiologist is providing insight on why some many people are divided on two words that come from the same sound.

The Yanny versus Laurel debate has taken social media by storms.

Some people hear Yanny being pronounced and others hear Laurel after listening to the same recording.

Local experts say how your brain interprets the pitch of the word determines what you hear.

“If you pay attention to the low pitches or the base sounds in that recording, you primarily hear Laurel. If you pay attention to the treble, the high frequencies or high pitches, you primarily hear Yanny,” says Dr. Jace Wolfe with Hearts for Hearing.

Dr. Wolfe says hair cells in our inner ear also contribute to the sounds being heard.

The hairs take sounds we receive and turn them into messages for the brain.

“Over time with the wear and tear process that comes with aging, exposure to loud noises, we tend to lose those hair cells in the high pitch range first,” says Wolfe.

Wolfe thinks those that hear Yanny may have younger ears compared to those hearing Laurel.