Irregular verb
The verb to hear
hear → heard → heard
A2Meaning: to notice sounds with your ears; to get news about something · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they hear·he/she/it hears - Past Simple:
heard(pronounced /hɜːd/) - Past participle:
heard(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
hearing
Conjugation of the verb to hear
Present Simple
| I | hear |
| You | hear |
| He / She / It | hears |
| We | hear |
| You (pl.) | hear |
| They | hear |
Past Simple
| I | heard |
| You | heard |
| He / She / It | heard |
| We | heard |
| You (pl.) | heard |
| They | heard |
All the forms of the verb to hear
Present Simple
Full pagehear / hears
“I hear the music.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are hearing
“I hear the music (not I am hearing the music).”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageheard
“I heard a strange noise last night.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were hearing
“I heard the music (not I was hearing the music).”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has heard
“I have always heard the music.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad heard
“I had never heard the music before that day.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill hear
“I will hear the music tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to hear
“I'm going to hear the music this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould hear
“I would hear the music if the window were open.”
See the pageHow to use to hear
1. Hearing (without trying)
- I can hear you.
- Did you hear that?
2. Getting news
Hear about…, hear of… or hear that…: to learn news from someone.
- I heard about the accident.
- I heard he's coming.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Heard pronounced like hear + d ❌
Heard is not pronounced like hear + d. The vowel changes to /ɜː/, like in bird and word. Learn this one by heart.
2. I hear music every evening ❌
Hear describes what your ears notice, even if you don't try. When you choose to pay attention, use listen (to): I listen to music every evening.
Going further
Conjugating to hear is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
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Practise on PLAYYou can conjugate to hear. Now say it out loud.
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For teachersReady-made activities to practise to hear in class
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Related pages: hear
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of hear?+
The Past Simple of hear is heard (pronounced /hɜːd/), the same for every person. The past participle is also heard. Hear → heard → heard.
What is the difference between hear and listen?+
Hear is what your ears notice, even when you don't try. Listen (to) means that you pay attention on purpose. I can hear the music (it is there), but I'm listening to the music (I chose to).
How do you pronounce heard?+
Heard is pronounced /hɜːd/, like bird or word. The vowel is different from hear (/hɪə/). Many learners find this surprising.
Is it heard about or heard of?+
Hear about + something means to get news about it: I heard about the news. Hear of + someone means you know the name, but not much more: I have heard of him.
Is it heard or heared?+
Hear is irregular, like see → saw. Its Past Simple is heard, never heared. It is a common mistake for beginners.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/hear
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.