What Causes the ‘Belly Laugh’ vs. the ‘Snort’?

A belly laugh is when you laugh so hard your whole body shakes, while a snort is like a quick, funny sneeze, short and sudden.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite toy and something super silly happens. If it's really, really funny, you might start laughing so much that your tummy feels like it’s going to pop! That’s a belly laugh, it comes from deep inside your body, and it makes your whole body shake.

But sometimes, when you hear something funny just as you're about to sneeze or blow your nose, you might make a snort. It's like a sneeze that went “ha-ha” instead of “achoo!”, quick, loud, and kind of silly.

Your body has two ways to laugh:

• A belly laugh comes from your diaphragm (the muscle under your ribs), which helps you take deep breaths.
• A snort is more like a quick laugh that happens when air suddenly rushes out of your nose, almost like a sneeze!

So next time you laugh, think about whether it’s a big shakey giggle or a quick funny sneeze, and maybe even try both!