monaural cues

Monaural cues are clues your brain uses from just one ear to determine where a sound is coming from. These include differences in loudness and tone, which help identify if a sound is closer or farther away or coming from the left or right. For example, if a sound is louder in one ear, your brain infers it's nearer on that side. These cues are essential when listening with only one ear or when sound sources are in front or behind, helping you localize sounds in your environment even without binaural (two-ear) input.