What's the difference between 'hear' and 'listen'?

• "I heard a noise outside."
• "Did you hear what she said?" (it reached your ears)
• "You can hear the traffic from here."

• "Listen to this song."
• "Are you listening to me?" (paying attention)
• "I listened to the whole lecture."

The key test: Are you making an effort? Effort → listen. No effort needed → hear.

• "See" vs "look" follows the same pattern. See = passive. Look = active.
• "Smell" vs "sniff" — same idea.

Tricky case: "I heard him, but I wasn't listening" — the sound reached your ears (heard) but you weren't paying attention (not listening).

Register: This distinction is standard English and applies in all contexts.

Tags: grammar, vocabulary, hear vs listen, active vs passive