# mind's ear

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/minds-ear
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The mental faculty or inner sense with which one produces or reproduces imagined or recalled sounds solely within the mind; the supposed organ within the mind which experiences such sounds.

## Examples

- I can hear the melody in my mind's ear.
- He hears the ocean waves in his mind's ear while sitting at his desk.
- Do you hear your own voice in your mind's ear when you read?
- When I read the sheet music, I can hear the entire symphony playing in my mind's ear.
- Even though the room is silent, you can hear your mother's laughter in your mind's ear when you look at the old photograph.
- The poet listens to the rhythm of the words in her mind's ear before she decides to write them down on paper.
- The composer claimed he could hear the intricate harmonies of his final masterpiece clearly within his mind's ear long before he wrote a single note.

## Origin

From the noun mind, the possessive marker -'s, and the noun ear. The term is probably modelled after the older and more established mind’s eye, providing a corresponding auditory internalisation for a well-worn visual metaphor. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.