capable of listening

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "capable of listening" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe someone or something that has the ability to hear and understand spoken words or sounds. Example: "The new software is capable of listening to user commands and responding accordingly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

A casual listener would be perfectly capable of listening to this song and thinking: 'Oh those bloody lazy retail workers, why don't I get any perks?' and then take to their phone to rattle off a few tweets of nonsense about how it's wrong to go on strike, and anyway, thanks to the last Labour government white people are no longer allowed to.

Vice

Neither side seems capable of listening to the other.

The New York Times

Unlike her opponent, she is capable of listening.

The New Yorker

"They will think that Westminster isn't capable of listening or responding.

Independent

If Labour was still capable of listening, they'd have heard the call to scrap council tax.

The Guardian

The theory is that if you show people you are capable of listening, they might listen back.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

18 human-written examples

Armed with an extraordinary technique -- purity of intonation especially at the higher positions, clarity of detail and a vibrating sound capable of penetrating big listening spaces even at the softest pianissimo -- Ms. Mutter has developed into a risk-taker, with every ritard and every retreat into whispered sound milked to its fullest.

The New York Times - Arts

As we touched on before, AI isn't yet capable of reading or listening like a human can — it only knows specific things.

TechCrunch

But she is capable of learning and listening to others - of balancing competing concerns, making informed judgments, and changing her mind when presented with new facts.

HuffPost

If we're not willing to do that, then we need to pause and ask ourselves why we can't listen to the voice of "the other". But once we're capable of hearing, really hearing — listening with empathy and imagining ourselves in the shoes of the immigrant — then we are called to take the second step and act.

Los Angeles Times

The app is also capable of suggesting what to listen to next based on users' prior listening behavior, and its in-audio search feature actually transcribes, indexes and makes searchable the audio content inside podcasts.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "capable of listening" to describe not only people, but also systems, devices, or organizations that have the technical or operational capacity to process and understand auditory information.

Common error

Avoid using "capable of listening" when a simpler phrase like "can hear" or "able to listen" would suffice. Overusing complex phrasing can make your writing sound pretentious.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "capable of listening" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun, indicating the subject's ability or capacity to hear and understand auditory information. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and usability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Science

28%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "capable of listening" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to denote the ability to hear and understand, as validated by Ludwig AI. While simple phrases may suffice in informal settings, this expression is valuable for articulating the functional attributes of people, systems, or devices in contexts ranging from news and media to science and technology. Related terms include "able to listen" and "equipped to listen", offering stylistic alternatives while maintaining semantic proximity. Remember to consider the audience and context when selecting the most fitting phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

able to listen

A more direct and simpler alternative, replacing "capable" with "able".

equipped to listen

Focuses on the readiness or preparedness to listen.

has the ability to listen

Emphasizes the inherent skill or capacity.

in a position to listen

Highlights the situational readiness or opportunity.

open to listening

Suggests a willingness or receptiveness to hear.

receptive to hearing

Emphasizes being open and responsive to auditory input.

attentive to listening

Stresses the quality of giving careful attention while listening.

inclined to listen

Indicates a tendency or predisposition to listen.

disposed to listen

Similar to inclined, but suggests a more deliberate decision.

can be counted on to listen

Implies reliability in the act of listening.

FAQs

How can I use "capable of listening" in a sentence?

You can use "capable of listening" to describe someone or something that has the ability to hear and understand. For example: "The AI assistant is "capable of listening" to voice commands".

What can I say instead of "capable of listening"?

You can use alternatives like "able to listen", "equipped to listen", or "open to listening" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "capable to listen" instead of "capable of listening"?

No, the correct phrasing is "capable of listening". The preposition "of" is required after "capable" when followed by a gerund.

What is the difference between "capable of listening" and "willing to listen"?

"Capable of listening" implies the ability to hear and understand, while "willing to listen" implies a readiness or desire to pay attention. Someone might be "capable of listening" but not "willing to listen", and vice versa.