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 himRegard
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //ˈlɪs.ən tə hɪm//🇺🇸 //ˈlɪs.ən tu hɪm//🇬🇧 /["/rɪˈɡɑːd/","/rɪˈɡɑːdz/","/rɪˈɡɑːdɪd/","/rɪˈɡɑːdɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/rɪˈɡɑːrd/","/rɪˈɡɑːrdz/","/rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/","/rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/"]/
MeaningPay attention to what he says.To think about someone or something in a certain way.
ExampleWhen he speaks, you should really listen to him.Many people regard freedom as a fundamental human right.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 5,000 (fairly common)Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level-B2
Part of speechverb
Collocationslisten to the advice, listen to the music, listen to the lecture, listen to the news, listen to her storyhighly, well, generally, appear to, seem to, tend to, as, with, steadily, intently, curiously, continue to, with
Antonyms-disregard, neglect, disdain
Common mistakesConfused 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 notesCommonly 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

Listen to him
Regard

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.

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