Yanny or Laurel? Twitter reacts to audio illusion that has split the internet
Recording of single word has been dubbed the audio version of ‘The Dress’
“Yanny or Laurel?” This seemingly nonsensical question has triggered uproar on the internet as users try to decipher a robotic voice recording of a single indistinct word.
The brief clip was originally shared on Reddit earlier this week, on a message board called “black magic f***ery’ that is dedicated to mind-bending pictures and videos.
Listeners were asked to choose whether the voice was saying “laurel” or “yanny”, with the results almost evenly split between the two.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The illusion is being described as the audio version of “The Dress”, which internet denizens will remember as the viral photo that sparked arguments in households worldwide as rival factions contested whether the frock was blue and black or white and gold.
The latest furore kicked off on Twitter when the clip was shared by popular user Cloe Feldman on Tuesday night.
Users were immediately divided into Laurel or Yanny camps, with both groups baffled and frustrated as to how anyone could hear the clip differently:
Some listened so many times they feared they were starting to lose their mind:
Even celebrities weighed in on the controversy:
After hours of debate, some users decided enough was enough:
So what is the correct answer? Well, the “word” in question is a robotic noise rather than actual human speech, so in reality the voice is saying neither laurel or yanny - what you hear depends entirely on your own perception.
“Plenty of things could be influencing your interpretation of yanny/laurel, including your dialect and whether you listened to the recording over a speaker or headphones,” says linguist Rachel Gutman on news website The Atlantic.
And her professional opinion as a linguist? “Both sides have a very good point.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published