Although the terms listening and hearing are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different. Hearing refers to the automatic and effortless process through which the brain responds to sounds. Sounds in the environment emanate from different sources, including cars, airplanes, falling objects, and animals. Most of these sounds are incidental and hence cannot be avoided. Instead, people choose the important sounds and give them attention while ignoring the unimportant ones.In contrast, listening is intentional and requires one to have the motivation and put in the effort to understand the sounds. Hence, during listening, one concentrates on the sounds with the intention of understanding what the speaker is saying. The audience pays attention to the sounds in an effort to make sense of them and interpret them. Therefore, listening is a psychological process.