A recent Canadian research, published in the journal Nature, has asserted that sensation on the surface of the human skin plays a vital role in how people "hear" and interpret speech. As per the study, there are some inaudible puffs of air "delivered alongside certain sounds", and these play an important part in influencing what people think they are listening to.

"Audio and visual cues" are not the only key factors which determine what people hear, asserted the researchers in the results which are being considered a medical breakthrough of their kind.

The research was carried out at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and aimed at studying whether or not "tactile sensation" affected how sounds are heard.

For the sake of study, the researchers compared sounds which, when uttered, are always accompanied with small inaudible breaths of air, for example "pa" and "ta", with those which are sans any air puffs, like "ba" and "da". Subjects, simultaneously, were either given or not given, "a small puff of air to the back of the hand or the neck". After analysis of the data collected, researchers were able to conclude that while "ba" and "da", known as un-aspirated sounds, were heard as the aspirated equivalents, "pa" and "ta", when presented alongside the puff of air.

It has already been established that "visual cues" from the speaker's face can enhance or interfere with how the hearer interprets what is being said, and with the new study findings, scientists are now hopeful that people with impaired hearing stand to benefit.