Quick English: Hear/Here

We’ve talked about a lot of confusing homophones on the blog before, and today we have another pair that always seems to get mixed up. Learn about the difference between hear and here in our Quick English guide!

here (adverb): in, at or toward this place or position

Examples:

- Come here! I have something to show you.
- Here is my favorite restaurant. Do you want to go inside?
- Leave the book here, I need to use it.

to hear (verb): to be aware of sound through the ear; to be told something
[past tense: heard]

Examples:

- I can hear you loud and clear!
- Did you hear that Natasha is going to travel through Europe?
- She heard me say I was hungry and she gave me an apple.

Quick Tip: Now you know the difference between the two words, but how can you remember them?

If you look at the word “hear”, you can see that it’s actually “ear” with the letter “h” in front of it.

This should help you remember that hEAR means to listen with your EAR.

Can you complete these sentences with the correct word?

1. I’m right over ______!
2. Did you _____ that new Lana Del Rey song?
3. When I _____ her voice, I always think of Rihanna.
4. Would you rather stay _____ or go there?
5. Did you _____ me? I’m still _____!

What other pairs of words do you find confusing? Let us know in the comments, or check out our other homophones posts!