Deafness is the most profound form of hearing loss. People who are deaf can hear very little or may not hear anything at all.

Can deaf people partially hear?

Hard of hearing is a term that refers to someone with mild-to-severe hearing loss. In these individuals, some hearing capability is still present. Deafness, on the other hand, refers to profound hearing loss. Deaf people have very little hearing or none at all.

What can profoundly deaf people hear?

People who are profoundly deaf can hear nothing at all and can find themselves totally reliant on lip-reading or sign language. In the United States, around 15 percent of people over the age of 18 years report some level of hearing loss.