Listen and hear are two verbs commonly confused by English students. Many times, we use both words in the same conversation. It’s important to know what the difference is.
Look at this example:
A: Hi! Can you hear me? What are you listening to?
B: I’m listening to Hotel California by The Eagles. Have you ever heard of it?
A: Yes, I love the lyrics! The first time I heard it was when I was driving through California… on a dark, desert highway!
Ready to TAKE THE QUIZ?
Listen To
When to use LISTEN TO
Listen is related to your ear AND your brain.
When you are actively giving attention to music, a speaker, or a sound, use listen.
Use BE + listening to when the action is happening NOW.
Listen is almost always followed by TO + OBJECT.
Pronunciation
- The pronunciation in the present and past is almost the same.
- The ‘t’ in listen is not pronounced.
I listen to music in the car on long trips.
Thank you for listening to my music for 3 hours!
I don’t listen to country music that much.
Hear
When to use HEAR
- Hear is related to your ear
- Use hear for sounds, noises, or volume. (What did you say? I can’t hear you!)
- Hear is also used when talking about experiences. (Have you heard this song? I’ve never heard of that artist.)
Pronunciation
So that’s it! I hope you enjoyed reading and listening to this lesson. If you’ve been listening to any good music lately, I would love to hear about it!
Ready to TAKE THE QUIZ? Good Luck!
