hearing
/ˈhɪɹ.ɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
hearing is spelled H-E-A-R-I-N-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 66 times per million words in written English, the 1,602nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, hearing means “Able to hear, as opposed to deaf” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in hearing?
| Letters | 7: H-E-A-R-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 66 times per million words; the 1,602nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is hearing?
Hearing appears 66 times per million words in written English, the 1,602nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hearing?
- UK /ˈhɪə.ɹɪŋ/
- UK /ˈhɪː.ɹɪŋ/
- US /ˈhɪɹ.ɪŋ/
Hearing has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-hearing.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-hearing.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Grendelkhan-hearing.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with hearing?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as hearing from its last stressed vowel (/ɪɹɪŋ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of hearing
- more hearing comparative
- most hearing superlative
- hearings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hearing mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Able to hear, as opposed to deaf.
Deaf people often must deal with hearing people.
noun
- 1
The sense used to perceive sound.
My hearing isn't what it used to be, but I still heard that noise.
- 2
The distance or physical region within which something may be heard; earshot.
She moved out of hearing and I lost the end of the sentence.
- 3
Something heard; a report or piece of news.
- 4
The act by which something is heard; the act of perceiving by sound or the auditory sense.
- 5
A proceeding at which discussions are heard.
There will be a public hearing to discuss the new traffic light.
- 6
A legal procedure done before a judge, without a jury, as with an evidentiary hearing.
- 7
datedinformalA scolding.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of hear
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate hearing?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of hearing: HoH, hr'g.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hearing in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | hörend , Gehör, Hören, Hörvermögen , Anhörung |
| Portuguese | dessurdo , audição, ouvido , audiência |
| Spanish | oyente , audición, oído , audiencia, mañanera |
| French | ouïe , audience |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hearing come from?
From Middle English herynge, equivalent to hear + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).