Yanny or Laurel? Twitter reacts to audio illusion that has split the internet

“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.

What do you guys hear ? from r/blackmagicfuckery

Listeners were asked to choose whether the voice was saying “laurel” or “yanny”, with the results almost evenly split between the two.

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.”