Only 10 out of 100
persons who use these words can boldly state the difference(s) between them. This
is because most English users use words without bothering to check out
their meanings in the dictionary. They use them because others are using them.
These words: heard, overheard and eavesdrop have to do with hearing (that is, to perceive sounds through the ears). This is the similarity between them. However, the only difference among these words is how - how did you perceive the sound?
Having said that, let's
discuss these words one by one:
1. HEARD
"Heard" which
is the past and past participle tense of "hear" has a general
meaning, that is, to perceive sounds with the ears. Therefore, if you hear
something, it's just a general word meaning - to perceive sounds. It also means
that you were involved in a conversation with another person(s) and through
that conversation, you heard certain things.
Example:
I heard that
Nigeria is out of recession.
2. OVERHEARD
Overheard, the past and past
participle tense of "overhear", has a specific meaning. Unlike
"heard", if you overheard something, it means you
accidentally heard a conversation that you were not part of so you were not
intended to hear that information. In this case, nobody told you; you
accidentally got the information while others were discussing it.
Example:
I overheard that
Nigeria is out of recession.
3. EAVESDROP
When you intentionally go
up to your parents' door to listen to their private conversation, you
are eavesdropping on your parents, and the verb used is “eavesdrop”.
In this case, you didn't hear the conversation accidentally. You did it on
purpose. It is very impolite.
Example:
Please check the door to
ensure that nobody is eavesdropping on our conversation.
As stated earlier, these
words have to do with hearing, but the only thing that differentiates them is
the question "how?". How did you hear what you heard? The answer to
this question will give you the right word to use. If someone told you, the
verb used is "heard". If you heard it accidentally, the verb
becomes "overheard". If you heard it by secretly listening to
the conversation of others, the right verb to use is "eavesdrop".