The mystery of why people often say “achoo” when sneezing has finally been unraveled, leaving many surprised by its origins.

While “achoo” is commonly thought to mimic the sound of a sneeze, it’s actually not an innate reaction. As a Reddit user noted, this sound is a learned cultural behavior rather than a natural reflex.

The user explained, “I recently discovered that the ‘achoo’ sound is culturally taught and not a biological response. This is why individuals who are born deaf usually do not make a sound when sneezing, and why sneeze sounds vary widely across different countries.”

In the discussion, a Popular Science article was referenced, highlighting that the “achoo” sound is predominantly used by English speakers. Other cultures have their own interpretations, such as “achoum” in France and “hakashun” in Japan.

Charlie Swinbourne, a journalist who is partially deaf, elaborated on this phenomenon in a post for The Limping Chicken, a blog dedicated to the deaf community. He noted, “While deaf individuals sneeze naturally, those who can hear often feel the need to add a vocal element.”

The revelation sparked an outpouring of comments on Reddit, with thousands weighing in on the topic. One commenter remarked, “Learning to vocalize ‘achoo’ (or its equivalent) when sneezing and assuming that’s how sneezes sound is quintessentially human. We really are like a bunch of playful children, aren’t we?”

Another added: “Learned vocalisation with dialects makes sense. My household’s sneezing sound is ‘HHHHHHRESH’ and it kind of freaks people out.”

A third shared: “My mom practically screams when she sneezes it drives me crazy sometimes, she insists it’s an uncontrollable reflex.”