Heard vs. Herd: What's the Difference?
Heard and herd are homophones, words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Heard is the past tense of 'hear,' which means to perceive sound or listen to something. Herd refers to a group of animals of the same species, usually mammals like cattle or sheep, that move together or are kept together as livestock.
How do you use the word heard in a sentence?
The word heard is used to describe the action of perceiving sound by the ear. It is employed when discussing the receipt of auditory information, particularly events or information in the past. For any sentence addressing what someone listened to or learned about through listening, heard is the appropriate choice.
Examples of heard in a sentence
- I heard a strange noise coming from the attic last night.
- They heard the news on the radio while driving to work.
- We hadn't heard from her in weeks, and we began to worry.
How do you use the word herd in a sentence?
The word herd is employed when referring to a group of animals, especially large mammals such as cattle or elephants, that travel together or are managed as a unit. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a group with common characteristics or a common goal. In such cases, herd captures the collective aspect of the subject.
Examples of herd in a sentence
- The shepherd guided his herd through the valley.
- A herd of buffaloes roamed the open prairie.
- Investors followed the herd mentality and rushed to buy the new stock.
Heard and herd definition, parts of speech, and pronunciation
Heard definition:
Heard is the past and past participle form of the verb 'hear,' which means to be aware of sound through the ear.
Heard parts of speech:
Heard pronunciation:
Heard is pronounced as /hɜːrd/.
Herd definition:
Herd is a noun that describes a group of animals of the same type that live together, or it can indicate a large group of people with a shared characteristic.
Herd parts of speech:
Herd pronunciation:
Herd is pronounced as /hɜːrd/, identical to heard.
Heard is the past and past participle form of the verb 'hear,' which means to be aware of sound through the ear.
Heard parts of speech:
- As a past tense verb: She heard the alarm clock but didn't want to get up.
- As a past participle verb: The concert had already started by the time we had heard the first song.
Heard pronunciation:
Heard is pronounced as /hɜːrd/.
Herd definition:
Herd is a noun that describes a group of animals of the same type that live together, or it can indicate a large group of people with a shared characteristic.
Herd parts of speech:
- As a noun: The wild herd grazed on the grasslands unbothered by tourists.
- As a verb (to herd): He works to herd the cattle into the barn before nightfall.
Herd pronunciation:
Herd is pronounced as /hɜːrd/, identical to heard.
Heard vs. Herd in a nutshell
Despite being homophones, heard and herd play distinct roles in language. Heard is used when discussing the act of perceiving sounds with the ear in the past, whereas herd refers to a group of animals or metaphorically, to a group of people. Both words have a specific context and cannot be used interchangeably. Remembering the ‘e’ in herd can evoke an animal ‘enclosure,’ which may help you distinguish between the two in writing and communication.
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