What's the Difference Between 'Heard' and 'Herd'?

In this blog post we look at when to use heard and when to use herd.

'Heard' or 'Herd'?

The words "heard" and "herd" are homophones, which means they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.

"Heard" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "hear," which means to perceive sound through the ear.

For example, "I heard a loud noise outside," or "She heard her name being called."

On the other hand, "herd" is a noun that refers to a group of animals of the same species that live together and move as a group.

For example, "a herd of cows," or "a herd of elephants." It can also be used as a verb, meaning to gather or move in a group, for example "The sheep were herded into the pen."

In summary, "heard" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "hear," which means to perceive sound through the ear.

While "herd" is a noun that refers to a group of animals of the same species that live together and move as a group, and can also be used as a verb to mean to gather or move in a group.

  1. "I heard a loud noise outside." In this sentence, "heard" is the past tense of the verb "hear," meaning to perceive sound through the ear. The speaker is indicating that they perceived a sound through their ear.

  2. "A herd of cows were grazing in the field." In this sentence, "herd" is a noun referring to a group of animals of the same species that live together and move as a group. The sentence is describing a group of cows that are grazing together.

  3. "The sheep were herded into the pen." In this sentence, "herded" is a verb, meaning to gather or move in a group. The sentence is describing an action of moving the sheep into a pen by gathering them together.

  4. "I heard that the concert was sold out." In this sentence, "heard" is the past tense of the verb "hear" and refers to information or news that the speaker received through their ear, in this case, information about the concert being sold out.

  5. "The herd of elephants were on the move." In this sentence, "herd" is a noun referring to a group of animals of the same species that live together and move as a group. The sentence is describing a group of elephants that are on the move.

  6. "The farmer heard the dog barking and went to investigate." In this sentence, "heard" is the past tense of the verb "hear" and refers to the farmer perceiving sound through his ear, in this case, the sound of the dog barking.

Examples of Heard in a Sentence

  1. I heard a beautiful melody on the radio.

  2. She heard the baby crying in the next room.

  3. We heard the sound of thunder in the distance.

  4. They heard the alarm and woke up immediately.

  5. I heard a rumor that the company is downsizing.

  6. He heard the train approaching and ran to the platform.

  7. I heard a voice calling my name in my dream.

  8. She heard the dog barking and knew someone was at the door.

  9. We heard the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.

  10. They heard the music from the concert across the street.

Examples of Herd in a Sentence

  1. The herd of cows were grazing in the field.

  2. The ranger counted the herd of elephants.

  3. The herd of elephants trudged through the jungle.

  4. The herd of sheep were being led to the pen.

  5. The buffalo hunter tracked the herd of buffalo.

  6. The researcher studied the herd of reindeer migration patterns.

  7. The cowboy broke up the herd of wild horses.

  8. The herd of buffalo charged across the plain.

  9. The herd of reindeer migrated through the tundra.

  10. The hiker observed the herd of mountain goats.


Heard or Herd
Heard or Herd