hearing voices

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hearing voices" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to describe the experience of hearing sounds or voices that are not actually present. This can be used to describe a symptom of a mental health condition or to describe an eerie or supernatural experience. Example: The man claimed to be hearing voices in his head, urging him to do things he knew were wrong. or After being left alone in the old abandoned house, the children all reported hearing voices and strange noises coming from the walls.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He was always hearing voices.

The New Yorker

On hearing voices, a dipper skims downstream.

The Guardian

Tossing and turning and hearing voices.

The New Yorker

He was hearing voices, one in each ear.

The New York Times

This is my afternoon for hearing voices, it seems.

The New Yorker

Starting at about 18, she began hearing voices.

The New York Times

For them, hearing voices is a normal mode of experience.

The New York Times

He told the police he was hearing voices.

The New York Times

"Every minute I'm not writing," Cohn says, "I'm hearing voices.

The New York Times - Magazine

Earlier this year Crystal Gonzalez, 25, started hearing voices.

The Guardian

REGGIE SIOTECO is hearing voices in his head.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase literally when describing the act of overhearing people in a different room to avoid unintentional medical connotations.

Common error

Do not use "hearing voices" as a synonym for listening to a podcast or attending a lecture. This phrasing is strongly associated with psychological symptoms or supernatural occurrences, so using it for mundane listening can confuse your audience.

Linguistic Context

In the examples provided by Ludwig AI, the phrase "hearing voices" typically functions as a gerund phrase acting as a direct object or the subject of a sentence. It describes the sensory experience of auditory perception. According to Ludwig, it is used to denote both pathological symptoms (hallucinations) and literal auditory detection.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Analysis of the data shows that "hearing voices" is a versatile and grammatically correct phrase widely utilized across prestigious media and scientific platforms. While Ludwig AI confirms its primary role in describing auditory hallucinations within psychiatric contexts, it remains equally functional for literal descriptions of overhearing speech. Writers should be mindful of the clinical weight the phrase carries and choose between it and alternatives like "auditory hallucinations" or "overhearing voices" based on the intended level of formality and the specific nature of the sound being described.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

auditory hallucinations

Uses formal clinical terminology to describe the perception of sound without external stimulus

voice-hearing

Adopts the preferred terminology of the self-help and advocacy movement

hearing things

Provides a more informal and broader idiomatic expression

internal voices

Specifies the perceived location of the sounds as being within the mind

perceiving speech

Replaces the common verb with a more technical sensory term

auditory perceptions

Broadens the scope to include any sound perception in a formal context

phantom noises

Emphasizes the non-existent nature of the sounds using descriptive language

paracusia

Applies the specific Greek-derived medical term for auditory disorders

acoustic illusions

Focuses on the deceptive nature of the auditory experience

overhearing conversations

Shifts the meaning to the literal act of listening to real people nearby

FAQs

Is it correct to use "hearing voices" in a medical report?

Yes, although "auditory hallucinations" is the technical term, medical literature frequently uses "hearing voices" to describe the patient's subjective experience.

What is the difference between "hearing voices" and hearing things?

While "hearing voices" specifically refers to vocal or linguistic sounds, "hearing things" is a broader idiom that includes non-vocal noises like thumping, ringing, or rustling.

Can "hearing voices" be used in a positive context?

Yes, particularly in literature or creative writing, it can refer to "perceiving voices" of inspiration or the 'voices' of historical figures in a metaphorical sense.

How do I describe literally listening to people without sounding like a medical symptom?

To avoid clinical confusion, use more specific verbs like "overhearing voices" or "listening to a conversation".