Hearing vs. Listening
Main DifferenceThe key difference between hearing and listening is that the hearing is simply a subconscious activity of perceiving sound by the ear while listening is a proper way of receiving sound by full attention and carefully understanding it.
Difference Between Hearing and Listening
Hearing vs. Listening
An ability of a person to receive sound waves is called hearing while a skill to understand the sound waves is known as hearing.
Hearing vs. Listening
The hearing is done subconsciously while hearing involves consciousness.
Hearing vs. Listening
The hearing is a physiological act while listening is a psychological act.
Hearing vs. Listening
The hearing is a natural ability or an inborn trait while listening is a learned skill.
Hearing vs. Listening
The hearing is a continues act, but listening is a temporary activity because we cannot pay attention to something or someone for a long
Hearing vs. Listening
Hearing does not involve brain activity whereas listening requires brain activity.
Hearing vs. Listening
The hearing is an involuntary act and does not provide any information while listening is a voluntary act and provide information or knowledge about something.
Hearingadjective
Able to hear.
Deaf people often must deal with hearing people.Listeningadjective
Of something or someone that listens.
Any listening person can tell she's lying.Hearingnoun
(uncountable) The sense used to perceive sound.
My hearing isn't what it used to be, but I still heard that noise.Listeningadjective
Of something that is used in order to hear or to improve the ability to hear.
He could hear better when he used his listening device.Hearingnoun
(countable) The act by which something is heard.
Listeningadjective
Of an action that is performed with caution and attention to sounds.
Hearingnoun
(uncountable) A proceeding at which discussions are heard.
There will be a public hearing to discuss the new traffic light.Listeningnoun
Action of the verb listening
Hearingnoun
A legal procedure done before a judge, without a jury, as with an evidentiary hearing.
Listeningnoun
An educational exercise involving listening
OK, students, today we're going to do a couple of listenings about the environment, then a reading about crime.Hearingnoun
A scolding.
Listeningnoun
Skill or ability of perceiving spoken language.
You can improve your listening well by watching English-language films.Hearingnoun
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
Listeningnoun
the act of hearing attentively;
you can learn a lot by just listeningthey make good music--you should give them a hearingHearingnoun
an opportunity to state your case and be heard;
they condemned him without a hearinghe saw that he had lost his audienceListeningadjective
attending to or alert for sound;
be wary of listening earsgovernment-maintained listening postsHearingnoun
the range within which a voice can be heard;
the children were told to stay within earshotHearingnoun
the act of hearing attentively;
you can learn a lot by just listeningthey make good music--you should give them a hearingHearingnoun
a session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken;
the investigative committee will hold hearings in ChicagoHearingnoun
the ability to hear; the auditory faculty;
his hearing was impairedHearingadjective
able to perceive sound
Comparison Chart
| Hearing | Listening |
| The hearing is simply a way of perceiving sound waves or noise etc. | Listening is an act of properly analyzing and understanding the sound. |
| Mental Activity | |
| Hearing does not involve any mental activity. | Listening involves mental activity. |
| Quality | |
| It is an ability. | It is a skill. |
| Level | |
| It occurs at a subconscious level. | It occurs at a conscious level. |
| Act | |
| It is a physiological act. | It is a psychological act. |
| Concentration | |
| Hearing does not require concentration. | Listening requires concentration. |
| Use of Sense | |
| It uses only one sense. | It uses more than one senses. |
| Nature | |
| The hearing is primary and continues. | Listening is secondary and temporary. |
| Reason | |
| We cannot control the sounds that we hear and even not aware of them. | We listen to get information or to receive knowledge. |
Hearing vs. Listening
Hearing and listening are two activities related to the use of ear. These two terms may seem to mean the same, but there exists a fine line of difference between them. We are surrounded by a number of sounds most of the time. The hearing is just a sense of receiving these sound waves and noise etc. Whereas Listening is a proper way of receiving sound carefully and understanding it. Hearing is a subconscious act while listening takes place consciously. The mind is not involved during the hearing while listening involves the activity of mind too.
What is Hearing?
The hearing is an automatic and accidental brain response of sounds that requires no effort. It is actually a natural trait to receive sounds that are always present around us. The hearing is an involuntary activity and does not require any concentration. We hear noise or many other sounds without considering them. So, it is an unconscious act. We hear different sounds because it is a physiological act. It is not about getting any information etc. Human has the capability to hear a sound between 20 to 20000 Hertz. We cannot hear above and below this level.
What is Listening?
Listening is a skill to carefully perceive the sound waves and understand them by transforming them into a meaningful message. So, it occurs at a conscious level and involves mental activity. It requires full attention because the listener has to notice both verbal and nonverbal signs of the speaker, i.e. pitch of the voice, tone and body language, etc. It is used to get knowledge, information or to learn about something.
ConclusionFrom the above discussion, it is concluded that hearing is an involuntary ability to receive sound subconsciously while the hearing is a voluntary skill to understand the sound waves and transfer them into proper meaningful information.
