hear to him

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hear to him" is not correct in written English.
The correct expression would typically be "listen to him." Example: "When he speaks, it's important to listen to him carefully to understand his perspective."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

To hear to him tell it, the titans of American enterprise are tremulously quivering in their boardrooms, unable to summon the courage to make money today because of what might happen tomorrow.

Huffington Post

In the video, Galifianakis says things to Bieber's face that society has desperately needed him to hear to him for so long, lambasting him for everything from peeing in a bucket on camera to saying he thinks Anne Frank would have been a Belieber.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The chair of Birmingham's Safeguarding Children's Board, Jane Held, admitted that, with Keanu, agencies failed to hear him, to see him, to walk in his shoes.

BBC

'This is no place for white men,' a Negro youth was heard to warn him.

The New York Times

These students wanted to see him, to hear him, to learn from him.

Forbes

Connect to the customer and hear to him/her carefully and keep on typing.

WikiHow

"I'm really looking forward to being able to hear him more and to see him more active again".

The New York Times - Arts

But many residents were surely relieved and grateful to hear him speak to immigration tensions immediately.

The New York Times

He loved writing the book; Nora used to hear him laughing to himself as he worked.

The New Yorker

"And that was very motivational, very passionate, and also very sad to hear him - to hear the way he is.

The New York Times

I have started to hear him compared to OJ Simpson.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "listen to" when referring to paying attention to someone's spoken words. "Hear" refers to the act of perceiving sound, while "listen" implies conscious attention.

Common error

Avoid using "hear to" when you mean to consciously pay attention to someone. Use "listen to" instead. For example, instead of saying "I want to hear to him", say "I want to "listen to him"".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hear to him" functions as a prepositional phrase, but it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig identifies the correct usage as ""listen to him"" which indicates attending to someone with one's ears.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

50%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "hear to him" is grammatically incorrect. The correct and commonly accepted alternative is ""listen to him"". Ludwig highlights this distinction, emphasizing the importance of using "listen" when referring to paying attention. While some instances of "hear to him" exist, they are infrequent and should be avoided in formal writing. Remember to choose "listen" over "hear" when you want to express the act of consciously paying attention to someone's words.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

listen to him

Corrects the grammatical error by using the correct verb "listen" instead of "hear" with the preposition "to".

hear him out

Implies listening to someone completely before forming an opinion or interrupting.

pay attention to him

Emphasizes focusing on what someone is saying or doing.

take heed of what he says

Suggests carefully considering and following someone's advice or instructions.

give him your ear

A more figurative way of saying listen to him, give him your attention.

lend him your ear

An idiomatic expression meaning to listen attentively to someone.

be all ears for him

Indicates eagerness and readiness to listen to someone.

consider his words

Focuses on reflecting on and thinking about what someone has said.

heed his words

Similar to 'take heed', emphasizing the importance of following someone's advice.

mark his words

Pay attention to what he says because it will be important in the future.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "hear to him"?

The correct way to express paying attention to someone's words is to use ""listen to him"". The phrase "hear to him" is grammatically incorrect.

When should I use "hear" versus "listen"?

"Hear" refers to the act of perceiving sound. "Listen" implies actively paying attention to a sound or to someone speaking. For example, you hear background noise, but you "listen to the speaker".

What are some alternatives to ""listen to him""?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "hear him out", "pay attention to him", or "take heed of what he says".

Is "hear to him" ever correct?

No, "hear to him" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Always use ""listen to him"" when you mean to pay attention.