Australian Town Crier Sets 122.4-Decibel Loudest Shout Record

Q: Why was the simple word 'now' the secret weapon for shattering a 32-year-old world record for loudest shout?

Because “now” was acoustically easier to explode out of the mouth at maximum force than “quiet,” it let Joseph McGrail-Bateup generate a higher peak sound pressure and break the long-standing mark. McGrail-Bateup and his daughter tested words before the attempt and found that “quiet” did not produce the same punch. “Now” is short, sharp and built for a sudden burst: it begins with a strong nasal consonant and opens quickly into a broad vowel, allowing the voice to release energy fast and cleanly. For a record based on peak decibels, that kind of compact, forceful sound matters more than using a longer or more complex word. That choice, combined with his theater-trained projection and town-crier technique, helped him reach 122.4 decibels on his seventh try. Guinness recorded it as the loudest shout by an individual male, surpassing the previous overall benchmark of 121.7 dB set in 1994 by Annalisa Flanagan, who had shouted “quiet.” The result shows that in extreme vocal performance, word selection is not trivial. A record shout is not just about lung power; it is also about picking a sound shape that converts breath and vocal force into the highest measurable peak. For McGrail-Bateup, “now” was that sound.

Q: What permanent health price did the world's loudest man pay for his 122.4-decibel record-breaking shout?

There is no evidence he paid a permanent health price. Reports on Joseph McGrail-Bateup’s 122.4-decibel Guinness record say the immediate effect was temporary vocal strain: he said his voice was “shot for the next couple of days,” sounding “husky” and “terrible” after seven attempts. The available coverage does not report lasting hearing loss, permanent vocal damage, or any other confirmed long-term injury. That said, the sound level he produced was in a range that experts consider risky. Noise at or above about 120 decibels can cause immediate hearing damage, and extreme shouting can injure the vocal folds, sometimes permanently. But those are general medical risks, not documented outcomes in his case. So the factual answer is that no permanent health cost has been reported; only short-term voice strain was confirmed.

3 articles · Updated · UPI News · Jun 19

Joseph McGrail-Bateup, the official town crier for Canberra and Queanbeyan, logged 122.4 decibels in May to claim the Guinness record for the loudest shout by an individual male.
The record bid grew from a personal challenge early this year, when McGrail-Bateup—also a former Guinness archery record holder—decided to target the shouting mark.
His voice was honed through theater training without microphones, a shift he said turned a shy child into a powerful caller.
Competition experience helped sharpen that volume: appointed town crier in 2017, he joined Australian town crier contests in 2022 and won the loudest cry title in 2024 at 98 dB.
He and his daughter tested words for maximum impact before settling on “now,” replacing “quiet” in the final successful attempt.