Difference Wiki

Hearing vs. Listening

The 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.

Key Differences

The hearing is a physiological act while listening is a psychological act.
The hearing is done subconsciously while hearing involves consciousness.
The hearing is a continues act, but listening is a temporary activity because we cannot pay attention to something or someone for a long
Aimie Carlson
Feb 28, 2019
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.
An ability of a person to receive sound waves is called hearing while a skill to understand the sound waves is known as hearing.
The hearing is a natural ability or an inborn trait while listening is a learned skill.
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Hearing does not involve brain activity whereas listening requires brain activity.
Harlon Moss
Feb 28, 2019

Comparison Chart

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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.
Harlon Moss
Feb 28, 2019

Act

It is a physiological act.
It is a psychological act.
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Concentration

Hearing does not require concentration.
Listening requires concentration.
Harlon Moss
Feb 28, 2019

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.
Aimie Carlson
Feb 28, 2019

Reason

We cannot control the sounds that we hear and even not aware of them.
We listen to get information or to receive knowledge.
Harlon Moss
Feb 28, 2019

Hearing and Listening Definitions

Hearing

The sense by which sound is perceived; the capacity to hear.

Listening

To make an effort to hear something
Listen to the radio.
Listen for the bell that ends class.
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Hearing

Range of audibility; earshot.

Listening

To pay attention; heed
“She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit” (Maya Angelou).

Hearing

An opportunity to be heard.

Listening

An act of listening
Would you like to give the CD a listen before buying it?.

Hearing

A legal proceeding in which evidence is taken and arguments are given as the basis for a decision to be issued, either on some preliminary matter or on the merits of the case.

Listening

Of something or someone that listens.
Any listening person can tell she's lying.

Hearing

A session, as of an investigatory committee or a grand jury, at which testimony is taken from witnesses.

Listening

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.

Hearing

Able to hear
A deaf child born to hearing parents.

Listening

Of an action that is performed with caution and attention to sounds.

Hearing

Able to hear, as opposed to deaf.

Listening

Present participle of listen

Hearing

(uncountable) The sense used to perceive sound.
My hearing isn't what it used to be, but I still heard that noise.

Listening

Action of the verb listening

Hearing

(countable) The act by which something is heard.

Listening

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.

Hearing

(uncountable) A proceeding at which discussions are heard.
There will be a public hearing to discuss the new traffic light.

Listening

Skill or ability of perceiving spoken language.
You can improve your listening well by watching English-language films.

Hearing

A legal procedure done before a judge, without a jury, as with an evidentiary hearing.

Listening

The act of hearing attentively.

Hearing

A scolding.

Listening

The act of hearing attentively;
You can learn a lot by just listening
They make good music--you should give them a hearing

Hearing

Present participle of hear

Listening

Attending to or alert for sound;
Be wary of listening ears
Government-maintained listening posts

Hearing

The act or power of perceiving sound; perception of sound; the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived; as, my hearing is good.
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear.

Hearing

Attention to what is delivered; opportunity to be heard; audience; as, I could not obtain a hearing.

Hearing

A listening to facts and evidence, for the sake of adjudication; a session of a court for considering proofs and determining issues.
His last offenses to usShall have judicious hearing.
Another hearing before some other court.

Hearing

Extent within which sound may be heard; sound; earshot.
They laid him by the pleasant shore,And in the hearing of the wave.

Hearing

(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

Hearing

An opportunity to state your case and be heard;
They condemned him without a hearing
He saw that he had lost his audience

Hearing

The range within which a voice can be heard;
The children were told to stay within earshot

Hearing

The act of hearing attentively;
You can learn a lot by just listening
They make good music--you should give them a hearing

Hearing

A session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken;
The investigative committee will hold hearings in Chicago

Hearing

The ability to hear; the auditory faculty;
His hearing was impaired

Hearing

Able to perceive sound

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.

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