# How can the wind sound like a human voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530 "2010-08-26T13:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/1 "2010-08-26T13:48:04Z")
We’ve all heard the howling wind that sometimes sounds human. What causes this? ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/2 "2010-08-26T13:52:39Z")
It’s the human brain’s specialisation in detecting human sounds wherever it can. Communication is important to most animals and the human brain makes every attempt to match any sound that could be a voice in order to avoid missing important information. It’s the audio equivalent of being able to ‘see’ faces in things like cloud patters and burning embers. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/3 "2010-08-26T14:18:07Z")
What gpw said, I get this all the time, and not just with the wind. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/4 "2010-08-26T14:35:03Z")
if you listen closely your refrigerator might talk to you. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/5 "2010-08-26T15:09:16Z")
zuuuuuuuuuuul ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/6 "2010-08-26T15:13:19Z")
I for one have NOT heard wind sounding human. Have others really heard this? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/7 "2010-08-26T15:13:44Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > It’s the human brain’s specialisation in detecting human sounds wherever it can. More generally, the brain is so adept as detecting patterns in general, it finds them where they ain’t. (BTW the wind itself isn’t making the sound, it’s the vibrating of air as it rushes past various objects, or even your own ears.) When wind is making sound that doesn’t sound like a howling voice, you probably don’t even notice it. So one aspect of this is the only time you notice wind sound is if it happens to resemble a voice. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/8 "2010-08-26T16:05:06Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > I for one have NOT heard wind sounding human. Have others really heard this? All the time. I do a lot of solo hiking, and the wind, streams, leaves, all sort of sound like human voices. Your brain is busy trying to detect important stuff so it “makes sense” of the noise by turning it into something that just barely sounds like human voices. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/9 "2010-08-26T16:06:45Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > I for one have NOT heard wind sounding human. Have others really heard this? I’ve only noticed it very occasionally when the wind has been strong and I’ve heard it through a window. Or sometimes when in a wooded area. It needs to be making a particular sort of sound. Another very good place to notice a similar effect is in passenger jets. The combination of the hissing of the aircon and roar of the engines make it very easy to hear a low background murmuring of human voices even when you can look up and see everyone asleep! > [@CookingWithGas](#): > > > [@qpw3141](#): > > > > It’s the human brain’s specialisation in detecting human sounds wherever it can. > > More generally, the brain is so adept as detecting patterns in general, it finds them where they ain’t. Yes. This is particularly noticeable amongst certain on line poker players who ascribe their less than stellar performance to the deal being rigged. They often claim to be able to see patterns in the cards but, strangely, they can never make any money out of this apparently useful ability. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/10 "2010-08-26T16:09:40Z")
What they said; the term used is [Pareidolia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia) ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/11 "2010-08-26T16:12:00Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > Yes. This is particularly noticeable amongst certain on line poker players who ascribe their less than stellar performance to the deal being rigged. They often claim to be able to see patterns in the cards but, strangely, they can never make any money out of this apparently useful ability. 😃 Ah, you misunderstand. The deal will only be rigged after the player makes his play. Then he’ll be able to say “I knew X card would come up and screw me!” As for the OP question - wind blows over, well, just about every object and surface that’s outside. So it’s hardly surprising that some of those objects will vibrate at a frequency that happens to be in the range of human voices. Add in the brain’s pattern recognition, as mentioned above, and yoooooouuuu caaaannn seeeeeee wwwwwhhhhyyyyyyy. Wooooooooaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/12 "2010-08-26T16:39:46Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > As for the OP question - wind blows over, well, just about every object and surface that’s outside. So it’s hardly surprising that some of those objects will vibrate at a frequency that happens to be in the range of human voices. Add in the brain’s pattern recognition, as mentioned above, and yoooooouuuu caaaannn seeeeeee wwwwwhhhhyyyyyyy. > > Wooooooooaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/13 "2010-08-26T17:06:57Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > I for one have NOT heard wind sounding human. Have others really heard this? Well, you’re not the only one who has not experienced this. I have no experience with this phenomenon, either. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/14 "2010-08-26T17:08:15Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > zuuuuuuuuuuul Knock it off, and help me put away these marshmallows. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/15 "2010-08-27T04:37:28Z")
I hear voices telling me to stay home and clean the guns. Good to know its only the wind. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/16 "2010-08-27T04:41:01Z")
Did the wind say its name was Mariah? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/17 "2010-08-27T11:34:47Z")
Restless spirits. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/18 "2010-08-27T11:42:06Z")
Did it say ‘Mary?’ ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/19 "2010-08-27T11:46:50Z")
They were just a breezes and very faint but I think they all said: “Louise”. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530/20 "2010-08-27T12:19:55Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > I for one have NOT heard wind sounding human. Have others really heard this? I should clarify, I only get this with sounds on the edge of hearing (usually because there is some other noise mostly masking it). Until I can identify the sound, things like the wind or traffic noise can sound like someone talking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-the-wind-sound-like-a-human-voice/551530.md?page=2)