What is the Difference Between Listening and Hearing?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between hearing and listening lies in their definitions and the level of engagement they require:
- Hearing is the process, function, or power of perceiving sound. It is a passive act that occurs involuntarily when sound waves enter our ears and are processed by the brain.
- Listening is paying attention to a message in order to hear it, understand it, and physically or verbally respond to it. It is an active process that requires effort and concentration.
In summary, hearing is a passive, involuntary act that is physiological and only uses the ears, while listening is an active, psychological process that requires the use of the brain to interpret the message. Listening involves attention and is essential for effective communication, whereas hearing is a natural, continuous process that occurs regardless of our intention.
Comparative Table: Listening vs Hearing
The main difference between hearing and listening lies in the level of attention and interpretation of the message being received. Here is a table summarizing the differences between hearing and listening:
| Feature | Hearing | Listening |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Hearing refers to one's ability to perceive sounds, by receiving vibrations through ears. | Listening is the process of actively hearing, understanding, remembering, and responding to the message. |
| Active/Passive | Hearing is passive and involuntary, as it is a natural physiological process. | Listening requires attention and is an active process that involves the use of the brain to interpret the message. |
| Senses Involved | Hearing involves the use of only one sense, i.e., ears. | Listening involves the use of more than one sense, i.e., eyes, ears, touch, etc., to understand the message completely and accurately. |
| Control | We have no control over the sounds we hear. | We can choose to listen or not listen to a message, focusing on what the speaker is saying. |
| Purpose | Hearing is the physical process of perceiving sound through the ears. | Listening is done consciously to acquire knowledge and receive information. |
In summary, hearing is an involuntary physiological process that involves receiving sound vibrations through the ears, while listening is an active psychological process that requires attention and the use of multiple senses to interpret the message being received.
- Listen vs Hear
- Active vs Passive Listening
- Hearing vs Trial
- Sound vs Voice
- Earphones vs Headphones
- Light vs Sound
- Sound vs Noise
- Sensorineural vs Conductive Hearing Loss
- Headphone vs Headset
- Speech vs Language
- Silent vs Silence
- Eyesight vs Vision
- Mono vs Stereo Sound
- Speak vs Talk
- Writing vs Reading
- Sensing vs Perceiving
- Sound Intensity vs Loudness
- Phonetics vs Phonology
- Sign Language vs Spoken Language