Different types of laughter decoded

Body language and behavior expert Judi James, author of The Body Language Bible, said that they all had a range of different laughs that they use for different purposes and circumstances and most were within the "social masking" spectrum that is, they did them to be polite or to create social bonds, the Mashable reported.

James continued that the only really authentic laugh will emerge spontaneously and that was when they knew what they really sounded like and this genuine laugh often embarrassed them, as it sounds or looks pretty gross, often involving snorting noises and over-wide opening of the mouth.

Robert Provine, research professor and professor emeritus of psychology and neuroscience University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said that although their laughter may be as distinctive as our speech, laughter was not infinitely variable.