Here's two words that my students often get mixed up in class.
Do you know the difference between hear and listen? Which one is correct?
A) Did you hear the thunder last night?
B) Did you listen to the thunder last night?
Hear: you hear things by chance, not expecting them; something that happens without any intentional effort →effort level: 0%
Can you quiet down? I can hear you with my door closed.
Listen: you are actively trying to hear something; to pay attention to someone or something in order to hear what is being said, sung, played, etc. →effort level: 100%
My mom listens to the radio every morning.
Sound: something you hear
The sound of the motorcycle is very loud.
More examples:
Hear:
Did you hear the loud noise?
I hear the baby crying.👶😭
I can hear the dog barking outside.🐶
Did you hear the police car?🚓🚨
Hello, can you hear me? // Yes, I can hear you.
Listen:
I like to listen to music when I am jogging🎧
The doctor will listen to my heartbeat💓
Do you want to listen to the radio?📟
Listen to this song. It's my favorite song now.🎼
Are you listening to me? I'm talking to you!
Sound:
A bee buzzing🐝
A car honking🚗📣
People clapping👏👏👏
Someone laughing "hahaha"😆
Now you know the difference, which one is correct?
A) Did you hear the thunder last night?
B) Did you listen to the thunder last night?
→ A is correct because you don't intentionally listen to thunder, but you can hear it in the background.
Do you understand the meaning now?😊
What about see, look, and watch? Confused with these words too? Don't worry! Check out this blog post for a clear explanation→ Difference between see, look, and watch
↘Practice making your own sentences. Comment below! Tag a friend↙
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