What is the difference between "hear" and "listen" ? "hear" vs "listen" ?

27 Dec 2016

Featured answer

English (US)

"Hearing" is not a choice because anything that makes a sound you can hear. I hear the wind. I hear the cars.

Listening is a choice.
I listen to my favorite song before I sleep.
I listen to my mom sometimes.

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jcking78

27 Dec 2016

English (US)

When you hear something, you don't have to think about it. You just hear it.

When you listen, you're actively hearing something. You have to think about what you're hearing.

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creamcrepe

27 Dec 2016

English (US)

In Listen, the person is talking to you and he/she knows that he/she is talking to you.

Example:

Person A: She is so amazing! She sang beautifully.

Person B: ...

Person A: Are you even listening to me? You are just playing with your fork.

- - - -

In Hear, the person may or may not talk to you directly.

Example #1:

Person A: Argh! Just kiss already! It's so obvious that you like eachother! (She's talking about two characters in a show)

Person B: Keep quiet! I can hear you from down here.

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NYCEnglish

27 Dec 2016

English (US)

"Hearing" is not a choice because anything that makes a sound you can hear. I hear the wind. I hear the cars.

Listening is a choice.
I listen to my favorite song before I sleep.
I listen to my mom sometimes.

See a translation

2 likes 0 disagrees

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