listen

The word “listen” means to pay attention with your ears in order to hear something. In plain terms, using your ears on purpose, or taking someone's advice.

“Listen” is pronounced LIH-suhn (/ˈlɪsən/ in IPA).

Here is “listen” used in a sentence: “She listened carefully to the instructions before starting the test.”

Words with a similar meaning to “listen” include attend, be all ears, behear, earball, give ear and hark.

The opposite of “listen” — its antonyms — are disregard and ignore.

“Listen” is a verb.

The word “listen” comes from Old English. From Old English hlysnan ("to listen"), from a Proto-Germanic root related to hearing — distantly connected to the modern word loud.

“Listen” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

Hearing is passive: it is simply your ears detecting sound, which happens whether you intend it or not. Listening is active: you deliberately pay attention to make sense of what you hear. You can hear traffic in the background without listening to it, but you listen to someone by focusing on their words.

Yes. Listening is a skill that improves with conscious effort. Techniques include giving your full attention, not interrupting, keeping eye contact, and summarising what the speaker said to check you understood. This approach, often called active listening, can be practised and strengthened, improving relationships, learning, and teamwork over time.

Active listening means fully concentrating on a speaker rather than just passively taking in sound. It involves paying close attention, showing you are engaged through nods or short responses, avoiding interruptions, and reflecting back or asking questions to confirm understanding. It is widely taught in counselling, management, and communication training.

Listening is how we truly understand others, so it underpins learning, strong relationships, and good teamwork. Careful listening prevents misunderstandings, helps resolve conflict, and makes people feel valued and heard. In study and work it lets you absorb information accurately, which is why it is considered as vital as speaking.