Listen to him vs Regard
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Listen to him
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Regard
Top 2,000 (common)B2verb
Most common: Regard
| Listen to him | Regard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈlɪs.ən tə hɪm//🇺🇸 //ˈlɪs.ən tu hɪm// | 🇬🇧 /["/rɪˈɡɑːd/","/rɪˈɡɑːdz/","/rɪˈɡɑːdɪd/","/rɪˈɡɑːdɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/rɪˈɡɑːrd/","/rɪˈɡɑːrdz/","/rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/","/rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | Pay attention to what he says. | To think about someone or something in a certain way. |
| Example | When he speaks, you should really listen to him. | Many people regard freedom as a fundamental human right. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | listen to the advice, listen to the music, listen to the lecture, listen to the news, listen to her story | highly, well, generally, appear to, seem to, tend to, as, with, steadily, intently, curiously, continue to, with |
| Antonyms | - | disregard, neglect, disdain |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'hear' vs 'listen'. 'Listen' is active attention., Omitting 'to', saying 'Listen him' instead., Using 'listen' without context, it needs a subject. | Confused with 'regards' when closing emails., Using 'regard' without an object (it's typically used with one)., Confusing it with 'regard as' and misplacing the subject. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in casual and formal contexts. Avoid when giving commands or orders to someone in a disrespectful manner. | Used to express opinion or feeling towards someone or something. Often used in both written and spoken English. May not be suitable in very casual conversations. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Listen to him vs Regard
What's the difference between Listen to him and Regard?
Listen to him: Pay attention to what he says. Regard: To think about someone or something in a certain way.
Which is more common: Listen to him and Regard?
Regard is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Listen to him: When he speaks, you should really listen to him. Regard: Many people regard freedom as a fundamental human right.
Can I use Listen to him and Regard interchangeably?
Not always. Listen to him and Regard are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.