Trending Now - Sperm Whale Clicks Mirror Human Language Patterns, Study Reveals
WHO:
The Guardian - Researchers from Project CETI, including linguist Gašper Beguš from the University of California, Berkeley.
ScienceAlert - Project CETI, a US non-profit organization focused on understanding sperm whales.
WHAT:
The Guardian - The study found that sperm whales can differentiate vowels through short or elongated clicks or through rising or falling tones, using patterns similar to languages such as Mandarin, Latin, and Slovenian.
ScienceAlert - The new analysis shows that sperm whale codas fall into distinct categories that behave like vowel sounds in human speech, with consistent differences in length, patterns, and interactions with neighboring sounds.
ScienceAlert - The researchers identified two different types of codas: "a-codas" with one formant and "i-codas" with two formants, which behave like human vowels in several ways.
The Guardian - Sperm whales have a form of “alphabet” and can form vowels within their vocalizations.
The Guardian - The study found that sperm whale coda vocalizations are “highly complex” and represent one of the closest parallels to human phonology of any analyzed animal communication system.
ScienceAlert - The new analysis shows that sperm whale clicks, known as "codas," follow structured rules similar to human speech.
ScienceAlert - The researchers analyzed 3,948 codas from 15 individual sperm whales recorded between 2014 and 2018.
ScienceAlert - The study identified two types of codas: "a-codas" with one formant and "i-codas" with two formants.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The research was conducted off the coast of Dominica.
ScienceAlert - The codas were recorded as part of The Dominica Sperm Whale Project in the Eastern Caribbean.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The study was published in the Proceedings B journal.
ScienceAlert - The previous study referenced was conducted in 2024, analyzing 8,719 coda vocalizations recorded between 2005 and 2018.
ScienceAlert - The new analysis was based on recordings from 2014 to 2018.
WHY:
The Guardian - The latest discovery around sperm whale speech has inched forward the possibility of someday fully understanding the creatures and even communicating with them.
The Guardian - The research aims to understand the complexity of sperm whale communication and its parallels to human language.
ScienceAlert - Understanding sperm whale communication could provide insights into the evolution of language and the potential for interspecies communication.
HOW:
ScienceAlert - Project CETI is using machine learning to break down sperm whale communication to the tiniest detail in an attempt to understand what the whales may be saying to each other.
The Guardian - Researchers used modern technology, including artificial intelligence, to analyze sperm whale vocalizations.
ScienceAlert - The analysis involved examining five properties of the codas to reveal structured patterns similar to human speech.
(UPDATED April 15, 2026 15:22 UTC)
A groundbreaking study has revealed that sperm whales can differentiate vowel sounds through their unique clicks, resembling patterns found in languages like Mandarin and Latin. Researchers have categorized these clicks into distinct types, known as "a-codas" and "i-codas," which mimic the behavior of human vowels, suggesting a complex form of communication among these marine mammals. Project CETI is leveraging machine learning to analyze these sounds in detail, bringing us closer to understanding and potentially communicating with sperm whales.
--
(UPDATED April 15, 2026 11:20 UTC)
Researchers from Project CETI, including linguist Gašper Beguš from the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that sperm whales possess a form of "alphabet" and can create vowels within their vocalizations. The study, published in the Proceedings B journal, analyzed 3,948 coda vocalizations from 15 individual sperm whales recorded off the coast of Dominica between 2014 and 2018, revealing that these codas follow structured rules akin to human speech. This groundbreaking research aims to deepen our understanding of sperm whale communication and its potential parallels to human language, utilizing modern technology and artificial intelligence to uncover complex patterns in their vocalizations.