RoyHi! I'm Roy, and today I'm going to tell you the difference between two words that are often confused: hear and listen.
Hear is the verb we use to talk about the ability. It doesn't mean that we want to hear something. It's about sounds coming to our ears. I can hear the air conditioning. It doesn't mean that I want to hear it, but I can.
The verb listen is often followed by the preposition 'to'. We use this verb when we're paying attention or focusing on sounds. I hope you're listening to me. That means I hope you're paying attention.
Compare these two sentences:I can hear some music (somewhere). I am listening to some music. I'm listening to a song that I want to listen to.
Anyway, I've got to go. I can hear my boss calling me.
Hear vs Listen
Hear
Hear is a verb we use to talk about the ability to perceive sounds through the ears. These sounds may be unwanted or disturbing, for example: You can hear a dog barking and it's stopping you from sleeping.
- I can hear the air conditioning.
- I like to hear the birds in spring.
Listen
Listen is a verb we use to say that we are paying attention to whatever we are hearing. It is often followed by the preposition 'to'.
- You should listen to your parents.
- I'm speaking to you! Listen to me.
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