Hearing vs. Listening

Those not thoroughly educated in communication tend to confuse the terms “hearing” and “listening.” Although they appear to mean the same thing, utilize the same body part, and are both required for functional communication, there is a great difference between these two actions. Hearing involves the perception of sound using the ears, while listening is based upon giving attention to the sound being perceived. Additionally, because these concepts are different, there are also several different ways of improving hearing and listening. Thus, there are several differences between these two concepts, and it is important to signify these differences in order to practice effective communication.

Hearing is known to be an automatic function of the body. According to the dictionary, hearing is, “the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived; the act of perceiving sound,” (“hearing…”). Hearing is a physical and involuntary act; therefore, unless one is born with a specific form of deafness, everyone has the natural ability to hear sounds. Sounds constantly surround us in our everyday environments, and because we are so accustomed to hearing certain sounds we sometimes don’t acknowledge them at all (or “listen” to them). The dictionary definition of listening is, “to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing,” (“listening…”). This differs from hearing in that this is a voluntary action, and we have control over what we choose to listen to. As stated by William Seiler and Melissa Beall, “You don’t have to work at hearing; it just happens… Listening, on the other hand, is active and requires energy and desire,” (145).

To further explicate this argument, it has been noted that listening, in addition to requi...

... middle of paper ...

...Listening

Skills&id=179402>.

Goldmann, John. "5 Ways to Improve Your Hearing." Personal Dream. N.p., 6 Feb.

2007. Web. 28 Mar. 2011.

5-ways-to-improve-your-hearing.html>.

"hearing." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

.

"listening." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

.

Moreland, Earl. "Difference Between Hearing & Listening Skills." eHow.com.

Demand Media Inc., 2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. facts_5001888_difference-between-hearing-listening-skills.html>. Seiler, William J, and Melissa L Beall. Communication: Making Connections. New

York: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2007. Print.