Aurally

Aural is an adjective meaning relating to the ear or the sense of hearing. The adverb form aurally describes something done by listening or experienced through hearing. The term derives from Latin auris, meaning ear, and is used in various academic and clinical contexts to distinguish auditory phenomena from visual or other modalities. It is not to be confused with oral, which relates to the mouth or spoken language.

In usage, aurally describes how information is perceived or presented through sound. Examples include phrases such as an aurally presented stimulus, aurally guided learning, or aurally delivered content. In fields like psychoacoustics, audiology, and film studies, the term helps specify sound-related aspects of perception, cognition, and media production.

Compared with the broader term auditory, aurally is more specialized and sometimes considered less common in everyday writing. Some style guides favor auditory or sound-based phrasing for formal or general audiences, reserving aurally for contexts emphasizing ear-based perception or literary-technical tone. The choice between aurally and other descriptors can reflect nuance about whether emphasis lies on the act of listening, the ear as an organ, or the perception of sound.

See also: auditory, aural perception, auditory processing, acoustics, phonetics, audiology.