"Yanny" Or "Laurel?" The Viral Audio Clip Explained!

In 2015, the Internet became divided over a dress that some thought was blue and black, while others believed it was white and gold. Now millions of listeners are arguing over a single word uttered in a three-second audio clip. Some hear it as a deep male voice saying “Yanny,” while others maintain it’s a higher-pitched sound saying “Laurel.”

However that the recording is noisy, with lots of different frequencies captured. Those whose brains emphasize higher frequency sounds hear "Yanny," while those that perceive lower frequencies better believe it’s "Laurel." So is there a right answer? Technically, the clip is saying “laurel.” However, those that discern “Yanny” should not necessarily worry. Chelsea Sanker, a phonetician at Brown University, asserts that the voice does not speak in speech patterns we’re as familiar with, making it more difficult to understand.