hearing and heating differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. hearing means “(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence”. heating means “the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature”. hearing is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈhiɹɪŋ/
1.n.(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
2.n.an opportunity to state your case and be heard
“they condemned him without a hearing”
3.n.the range within which a voice can be heard
“the children were told to stay within earshot”
/ˈhitɪŋ/
1.n.the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
2.n.utility to warm a building
“the heating system wasn't working”
| hearing | heating | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈhiɹɪŋ/ | /ˈhitɪŋ/ |
| Said | HEE-ring | HEE-ting |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, adjective | noun |
| Senses | 7 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | warming |
Full entry for hearing · Full entry for heating · More comparisons