Verb Pairs : Listen vs Hear

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Explanation

“Listen” and “hear” are both about using your ears, but the difference is about intention.

🔹 Listen (to) = Pay attention to sound on purpose

• Active – you focus on the sound.
• Often followed by “to”.
• Used when you want to understand or enjoy sound.

🔹 Hear = Receive sound without trying

• Passive – your ears hear sounds automatically.
• You don’t choose to hear, it just happens.
• Used when sound reaches your ears naturally.

🔹 Let’s compare:

Example	Why?
Please listen to me.	I want you to pay attention.
We listened to a podcast together.	We chose to focus on it.
She heard the doorbell.	The sound happened – no effort needed.
Did you hear that noise?	The noise reached your ears naturally.

More Examples

Key Differences

Let’s review the key differences :

Feature	Listen	Hear
Intentional?	Yes – you choose to listen	No – happens naturally
Action type	Active	Passive
Control	You control it	You don’t always control it

We hear by chance, but we listen by choice.

Exercises

Complete the sentences with the correct verb form: listen or hear.

1. I can’t ________ you – can you speak louder?
2. She always ________ to podcasts on her commute.
3. We ________ a strange noise outside last night.
4. Please ________ carefully to the instructions.
5. Did you ________ what he said about the meeting?
6. I love to ________ to the birds in the morning.
7. Sorry, I didn’t ________ my phone ring.
8. The students didn’t ________ to the teacher and failed the test.
9. He was surprised to ________ his name on the radio.
10. I ________ to relaxing music before bed every night.

(Answer key at the bottom of the page.)

Common Exceptions & Fixed Expressions

These expressions use hear even when someone is actively listening, or the meaning is metaphorical. They’re common in spoken English and helpful for learners to know.

“I heard (that)…”

We use this even when we listened actively. It means “I received information.”

Example: I heard you got a promotion – congratulations!

“Glad to hear it!” / “Sorry to hear that.”

Fixed expressions used in response to good or bad news.

Example: My dog is sick. – Sorry to hear that.

“Hear, hear!”

Used to show strong agreement, often in formal or public settings.

Example: We need to support our teachers better. – Hear, hear!

“Hear someone out”

To listen fully to what someone says, even if you don’t agree.

Example: Just hear me out before you decide.

“I’ve heard of it” / “I’ve never heard of that”

Used when you’re aware of something, not necessarily when you’ve listened to it.

Example: Have you heard of that new restaurant?

“You’ll hear from me/him/her”

Means that someone will contact you, often in a formal or legal context.

Example: You’ll hear from my lawyer.

“Hear me out!” / “Do you hear yourself?”

Emotional or idiomatic phrases that aren’t about literal hearing.

Example: Do you hear yourself? That sounds ridiculous!

Note for Learners

These don’t follow the basic “listen = active” vs “hear = passive” rule. They’re idiomatic and used often in everyday English.

Discussion Prompts

• Do you prefer to listen to music, podcasts, or silence while working? Why?
• Have you ever heard something surprising in public?
• How do you show someone you’re listening to them?
• Have you ever had trouble hearing someone in a crowded or noisy place? What did you do?
• What happens when people don’t listen carefully?

Make Your Own Sentences

Write three sentences using “listen” and three using “hear” in context. Try to use different tenses and situations.

Answer Key

1. hear 2. listens 3. heard 4. listen 5. hear 6. listen 7. hear 8. listen 9. hear 10. listen

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