Cool MateHear vs Listen to him
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Hear
High-frequency chunkA1verb
Listen to him
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Hear
| Hear | Listen to him | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/hɪə(r)/","/hɪəz/","/hɜːd/","/ˈhɪərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/hɪr/","/hɪrz/","/hɜːrd/","/ˈhɪrɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˈlɪs.ən tə hɪm//🇺🇸 //ˈlɪs.ən tu hɪm// |
| Meaning | To notice sounds with your ears. | Pay attention to what he says. |
| Example | I can hear the birds singing outside. | When he speaks, you should really listen to him. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | High-frequency chunk | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | clearly, well, barely, can, pretend not to, strain to, be delighted to, be glad to, be gratified to, about, of, hear little, a lot, nothing, etc. about something | listen to the advice, listen to the music, listen to the lecture, listen to the news, listen to her story |
| Antonyms | ignore, disregard | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'listen' — 'hear' is passive, 'listen' is active., Used incorrectly in past tense as 'heared' instead of 'heard'., Unclear about using 'hear' for sounds coming from far away. | Confused with 'hear' vs 'listen'. 'Listen' is active attention., Omitting 'to', saying 'Listen him' instead., Using 'listen' without context, it needs a subject. |
| Usage notes | Used in everyday contexts. Can indicate passive listening (like background noise) or active listening (like understanding speech). Not suitable for more formal contexts where 'perceive' might be preferred. | Commonly used in casual and formal contexts. Avoid when giving commands or orders to someone in a disrespectful manner. |
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Frequently asked questions: Hear vs Listen to him
What's the difference between Hear and Listen to him?
Hear: To notice sounds with your ears. Listen to him: Pay attention to what he says.
Which is more common: Hear and Listen to him?
Hear is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Hear: I can hear the birds singing outside. Listen to him: When he speaks, you should really listen to him.
Can I use Hear and Listen to him interchangeably?
Not always. Hear and Listen to him 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.