What? Could you say that again, please?
A couple years ago when I was teaching some really cute little kids at REACH, our church’s hands-on ministry for students K-5, I found myself asking the youngest ones who had signed up for “Beach Time” to repeat themselves over and over. I was kind of worried because I knew that hearing loss was a common condition in aging. One in three people ages 65-74 have some difficulty with hearing, and nearly ½ of all those 75 years or older do.
The high-pitched chatter coming from excited preschoolers and kindergarteners each Saturday morning -- while they were collecting shells, scouring for environmental hazards, sculpting turtles, creating sand art and making hanging terrariums on our pretend beach -- was absolutely delightful. It didn’t always make sense in the lesson, and I’m not sure I always heard them correctly; but it was joyful.
“Do shells poop?”
“We have a big raft in our pond.”
“My mom flushed my gold fish down the toilet last year.”
“Do dad turtles lay eggs?”
Since I was already over 70 at that time and worried about not being able to hear my beachcombers, I decided to take advantage of a free hearing checkup at our local hospital. Honestly, I thought they’d tell me I needed hearing aides, but I was surprised when the audiologist reported my hearing was very good except for the really high frequencies – where young children’s voices register. Oh!
I was reminded of the possibility that people may be hearing different things when Graham Wardle (Ty from the TV series Heartland) shared a Yanny vs Laurel video from the Ellen Show on his Time Has Come network recently.
Listen to this version. What do you hear?
The intriguing mystery of what is being said began when vocabulary.com hired an opera singer to record words for their resource website, and people began hearing two difference things with this one word. Why?
Some researchers think people have been primed to hear one of them. But Benjamin Munson, professor of audiology at the University of Minnesota, suggests most younger people hear the higher frequency “Yanny” and some older folks whose higher range has been degraded hear “Laurel” in the lower range.
You guessed it: I heard LAUREL loud & clear. My husband heard YANNY. And we’re the same age??? So I’m not sure about that theory. But…
Maybe that’s why I couldn’t hear that sweet five-year-old say, “Potty, please.” Oops!
It’ll Be Ok.
~~~
Three old guys: “It’s windy today. No, it’s Thursday! So am I. Let’s have a beer.” ~ Pinterest
COMMENT: Did you hear YANNY or LAUREL?
PS. The actual word being pronounced by the opera singer was “laurel.”
I heard Laurel. Repeated over and over and over. I am also 76 years old, I don’t hear as well as I used to. My youngest daughter is 51 years young, and has a very high distinguished voice. Sometimes I can’t hear her correctly on the phone, and I will tell her background noises, as I don’t want to hurt her feelings. But I resonated with your article. And when kids scream., That used to never phase me, and now I want to tell them to stop screaming. It definitely is different as we age, but it could be worse. Thank you for your story again. Thank you for keeping us entertained. Blessings my friend.
Well Jan I’m like you I heard Laurel and I have hearing aides due to being deaf in my right ear. I love reading your stories.