listen

Listen refers to the act of paying attention to sounds or to what someone is saying. It differs from hearing, which is the passive perception of sound; listening is a purposeful act that involves attention, interpretation, and a potential response within a communicative context.

Types of listening include informational listening, which aims to understand a message; discriminative listening, which focuses on distinguishing sounds and cues; empathetic or therapeutic listening, which seeks to understand another person’s feelings and perspective; and critical listening, which evaluates the logic and evidence of what is said. Active listening is a structured form that includes signals of attention such as eye contact, nodding, paraphrasing, and asking clarifying questions.

Cognitive and sensory processes underpin listening. The auditory system converts sound into neural signals, which are decoded by language and memory systems. Successful listening depends on attention, vocabulary, prior knowledge, and context. Understanding is aided by paraphrase, note-taking, and summarization, and by recognizing nonverbal cues such as tone, pace, and body language.

Barriers can impede listening. Noise, distraction, fatigue, emotional arousal, cognitive overload, language differences, and cultural norms may hinder interpretation. Assumptions or biases can distort understanding, while technological mediation (phones or online calls) can reduce immediacy and clarity of cues.

Improving listening skills involves practice. Effective listening can be developed by minimizing interruptions, giving feedback, asking clarifying questions, restating key points, and checking understanding. In everyday life, listening supports communication, learning, relationships, and professional collaboration.