"Hear of" vs "hear about": knowing the difference

If you have ever wondered when to use hear of versus hear about in English, this breakdown clears it up with real examples from a café conversation. It is designed for ESL learners who want to sound natural and stop second-guessing their prepositions.

The whole lesson starts with a role play where two friends, Emily and Thomas, chat about a new café. Emily asks, "Have you heard of this new café?" and Thomas replies, "Yes, I heard about it last week in town." Same conversation, two different phrases. And that tiny difference is exactly what trips learners up.

What does hear of actually mean?

Hear of means to become aware or learn that something or someone exists [00:52]. It is about existence, plain and simple.

Think about it this way: when you say you have heard of something, you are confirming you know it is out there.

• "Have you heard of this new restaurant they're building?" means "Did you know this restaurant is going to exist?"
• "No, I've never heard of it" means "No, I didn't know this restaurant existed."

What does "hear of" mean in English? It means to be aware that something or someone exists. For example, "Have you heard of Michael Jackson?" simply asks if you know he exists, not the details about him.

Notice how neither example requires anyone to have told you the news directly. You just know the thing exists.

When should I use hear about instead?

Hear about means to be informed of or gain knowledge of something [01:20]. It sounds close to hear of, but here is the key difference.

The main difference is that when you say hear about, it is because someone else told you [01:26]. There is a source, a person, a bit of gossip, a conversation.

• "Have you heard about John's girlfriend?" means "Did someone tell you what happened to her?"
• "I heard about a new restaurant downtown" means someone shared that information with you.

So the contrast is subtle but real. If I say "I heard of a new Spanish restaurant downtown," I discovered it on my own. If I say "I heard about a new Spanish restaurant downtown," someone else told me about it [01:45].

What is the difference between "heard of" and "heard about"? "Heard of" means you know something exists, discovered on your own. "Heard about" means someone else informed you or gave you details.

How can I practice hear of and hear about?

The lesson gives you fill-in-the-blank sentences to test yourself [02:12]. Try to choose of or about before checking the answer.

1. "Have you heard of the new English course English Academy launched?" "Yes, I heard ___ this course last week. A friend of mine told me." The answer is about, because a friend told you [02:26].
2. "You have never heard ___ Michael Jackson?" The answer is of, because you are asking whether the person knows he exists [02:52].

Here is the interesting part on that second one. You could technically use about too, but since it is so easy to come across information about Michael Jackson, of fits better [03:05].

That little detail shows these phrases are not always black and white. Context and how the information reaches you decide the natural choice.

Key vocabulary and skills from the lesson

A quick reference of the concepts that make this topic click.

• Hear of: to become aware that something or someone exists [00:52].
• Hear about: to be informed or told about something by another person [01:20].
• Preposition choice: knowing whether to attach of or about depending on how you learned the information.
• Context awareness: recognizing when either phrase works, like the Michael Jackson example [03:05].

Master these and your questions will sound far more natural, whether you are asking about a new café or a famous artist.

Have you heard about the new courses Platzi is launching this month? Go check them out and tell me in the discussion panel which course you are taking next. There is also a worksheet in the resources section to practice this topic even further.