The Nuance Difference: "耳" vs "そば"

In Japanese, both 耳 and そば are often translated to English but have distinct usages. 耳 (みみ (mimi)) represents "ear" (Level: N5) and typically represents Refers to the organ of hearing. Used with verbs like 聞く. On the other hand, そば (そば (soba)) translates to "near, beside" (Level: N5) and is used for Similar to '横' but often implies a closer proximity or being in the immediate vicinity. Can also refer to buckwheat noodles, but here it's the location adverb/noun. 「横」に似ていますが、より近い距離やすぐ近くにあることを意味します。蕎麦（そば）麺を指すこともありますが、ここでは場所を示す副詞・名詞です。. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!