Revised as o
25 Nov 2022
It’s rare to run across a word confusion between hear and here. Almost as rare as running across a confused hear and listen. Yet they do exist.
The hear-here difference is easy enough to differentiate; the hear-listen must take context into account. To hear is, generally, a passive act while to listen is to actively pursue the hearing of . . . things.
And just so you know, hear and here are heterographs.
You may also want to explore “Heard versus Herd“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Hear | Listen | Here |
|---|---|---|
Analog Hearing Aids is Udo Schröter’s own work under the GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 licenses, via Wikimedia Commons. — Hearing aids help one hear. |
Stethoscope was originally uploaded Luna04 at French Wikipedia (Transferred from fr.wikipedia to Commons) and is under the GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 licenses, via Wikimedia Commons. — A stethoscope listens to your heart or lungs. |
You are Here – Street Sign by Joe Goldberg from Seattle, WA, USA, is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Verb, intransitive & transitive
Third person present verb: hears |
Noun, singular; Verb, intransitive Plural for the noun: listen Third person present verb: listens |
Adjective; Adverb; Exclamation; Noun
Plural for the noun: here |
| Verb, intransitive: Perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)
Verb, transitive:
|
Make an effort to hear something
Noun: An act of listening to something Verb, intransitive:
Take heed Verb, transitive:
|
Adjective: Used for emphasis, especially after a noun modified by a demonstrative adjective Adverb:
[Usually here is, here are] Used when introducing something or someone
Used when indicating a time, point, or situation that has arrived or is happening [Literary] Hither Now, at this moment, at this point, at this point in time, at this juncture, at this stage Exclamation: Indicating one’s presence in a roll call Noun: This world
|
| Examples: | ||
| Verb, intransitive: He did not hear very well. I was shocked to hear of her death. Nobody will ever hear of my college. If you would like to join the committee, we would love to hear from you. I won’t hear of such idiocy. Verb, transitive: She had never been heard to complain. Can you hear the news? They will hear that I had moved soon enough. She just doesn’t hear what I’m telling her. Joseph will hear them out but will never offer advice. It was an all-woman jury who will hear the case. Our Heavenly Father must hear our prayers. |
Noun: Have a listen to this! Would you like to give it a listen before you decide? Give this CD a listen. Verb, intransitive: I told her and over and again, but she wouldn’t listen. They listened for sounds in the night. Listen, I’ve got this idea. Listen to your teachers, John. Listen, this is important. Listen to the voters. Verb, transitive: He never listens to me! Someone was listening in on our call. Listen in tomorrow for the conclusion. |
Adjective: This package here. This here man, what’d ya say his name was? Now this here book says somethin’ different. Adverb: Are you here now? I like to eat lunch here. This here is the best chance you’ll ever have. It’s our obsession with the here and now that worries me. The chocolates spilled out of the box and were scattered here and there. Oh man, here we go again. Oh, please . . . that’s neither here nor there. They have lived here most of their lives. Come here and let me look at them. I’m getting out of here. It’s too hot in here. Sign here. I have here a letter from the chief of police. Here’s my brother. We’re not here to mess around. Here’s the money I promised you. Exclamation: Here! He’s over here! Here, let me hold it. Noun: The here and the hereafter are equal mysteries to all people. Where do we go from here? |
| Derivatives: | ||
| Adjective: half-heard, hearable Noun: hearer, hearing Verb, transitive: outhear, outheard, outhearing, rehear, reheard, rehearing |
Adjective: listenable, more listenable, most listenable, unlistenable, unlistening Noun: listenability, listener, listenership, listening post, listening station Verb: list [archaic], relisten |
|
| Phrasal Verb | ||
| hear about something hear from somebody hear of something hear somebody out |
listen for listen in listen up |
|
| History of the Word: | ||
| Old English is of Germanic origin. It’s related to the Dutch hooren and the German hören | From the Old English and of Germanic origin, hlysnan meaning pay attention to.
The noun is from 1738. |
Old English hēr is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch and the German hier. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Hear vs Here with a Bit of a Listen
Apple Dictionary.com
The Free Dictionary: listen
Pinterest Photo Credits
Victor VI Phonograph with Speartip Horn is AlejandroLinaresGarcia’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license and Ear by David Benbennick under the GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0, or CC BY-SA 2.0 license are both via Wikimedia Commons.
