Question

What is the difference between hearing and listening?

Answer 1

Hearing is merely the ability of ear to sense sounds around one, but, listening is more of conscious effort to interpret the sounds, requiring concentration of mind.

Answer 2

One thing I would add to what Nurali said is that you can listen but still be unable to interpret the sounds. If you don't know the language, the sounds mean nothing. For example, the sound an engine makes may tell a mechanic far more than it does a driver, even when bot are listening to the same engine at the same time.

Hearing is passive. Listening is active. The difference then becomes paying attention.