'Hear' versus 'Listen to'

[Tom]

Hi

Although Conchita has once explained to me very well the difference between hear and listen to, I seem to need some more explanation.

Can we listen to someone coughing?
Can we listen to the door bell ringing?

Can we hear someone with full attention?

Please explain!

Tom

[dOlier]

Listen v Hear:

Listening is the active attempt to hear things.
Hearing happens involuntarily/passively whether you try or not.

You might have difficulty hearing something on the radio, now matter how hard you listen, because you can hear some other noise nearby, people talking loudly beside you.

If you want to hear something soft, quiet, in the distance you must listen carefully.

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

To add to what Art mentioned, here is my version of the basic differences:

hear --> This is a sense. It's not active, it's passive. You hear due to the fact that you have ears.

listen --> This is an active process. You listen because you want to know what is being said, because you enjoy the music, because you want to learn something, etc.

It is possible to hear someone talking without listening to them. The opposite is not possible!

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Torsten]

Hi Tom,

In addition to what Amy and dOlier have said, you might want to take a look at this:

Hear vs listen
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic706.html
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Yankee]