single word requests - Hearing equivalent for "speaker"


Let's say there is a conversation being analysed, and the people in the conversation are being divided into two groups: The people who speak and the people who hear.


If the people who speak are called "speakers", will the people who hear be called "hearers"?



Answer



I think the word you are after is listener in everyday terminology.


The speaker speaks to an audience. In the audience, you may find some very attentive listeners. Everybody in the room will hear the talk, so it might be argued that hearer is a possibility.


It depends on the interest of the audience member, though.


Hearing is something you cannot control. Your ears will pick up the sound and send it to your brain. So everyone who hears the sounds will be a hearer.


Listening, though, is something that you can control. You can decide to tune out and not pay attention, or you can decide to lap up every sound or word. If you are interested and follow the talk, you will probably describe yourself as a listener.


This also manifests in the set term avid listener. I'm not sure if such a construct exists for hearing.


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