It is easy to confuse listen and hear. They seem like synonyms

because they both have to do with hearing, but they are not interchangeable. Hear means your ability to hear. Listen means your willingness or choice to hear. If I ask if you can hear me, I am asking about your ability to hear me. If I am asking if you are listening to me, I am asking if you are paying attention to me. We often say, "Are you listening to me?" to kids or to husbands or wives when we sense they are not paying attention to our words! So if you ask if someone is listening to you, it could be considered rude. To avoid this error, use "hear" for ability to hear.