You can't distinctly hear running water in your ear when water is trapped because it interferes with your eardrum's normal function.
When water gets into your ear canal, it doesn't just sit there harmlessly. Instead:
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Water floods the ear canal and settles in the ear. As the provided information states, water makes its way down the slightly sloped ear canal towards the eardrum.
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Muffled Sounds and Gurgling: Because the water is trapped, your eardrum can't move properly. This impaired movement means it can't fully transmit sound, leading to muffled noises and a low gurgling sound instead of clear "running water."
In essence, the presence of water disrupts the natural sound transmission process within your ear, causing the distorted sounds you experience.
