
Learn the key difference between these similar words
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Lindsey McMahon
This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2451, emotion versus feeling.
Michelle Kaplan
What is the difference? Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American hosts, Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl. Coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the Allears English app for iOS and Android. Start your 7 day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.
Lindsey McMahon
Today. Get emotional with Lindsay and Michelle as we break down the differences between the words emotion and feeling. Plus, get a tip on how to be present during moments when emotions are running high.
Michelle Kaplan
Do you want a more international career? What if English no longer held you back from getting a promotion? Getting chosen for an important project or presentation? Imagine the possibilities if you had fluent English. Find out your English level now with.
Lindsey McMahon
Our free level quiz.
Michelle Kaplan
Go to allearsenglish.comfluencyscore Again, that's allearsenglish.com F L U E N C Y S C O R E and we'll see you there.
Lindsey McMahon
Hey there, Michelle. How are you today?
I'm good, Lindsay. How are you?
Good, Michelle. I have a question. I think I know the answer, but I'm gonna ask anyway. Maybe you'll surprise me. Who knows?
I don't think I will.
Michelle, are you. Are you an emotional person? I bet our listeners could answer this, too.
I am an emotional person. I definitely. I mean, I'm not to, you know, to. I mean, to a regular degree, but I'm definitely on the more emotional side. What about you, Lindsay?
Yeah, I would say I am for sure. I mean, over the years, I've learned how to kind of, I don't know, maybe distract myself sometimes from emotions, but definitely I'm. I am an emotional person at my core. Absolutely.
Yeah. I feel like that's one of the reasons you and I get along. So probably we both feel things very deeply.
I think I'll feel all the feels, as they say.
All the feels. That's right. Oh, my gosh. That's another good one. So, yeah. Well, we're talking about this today because we have a listener question from Rama 900. Lindsay, would you like us to. Would you like us like I, me, myself and I. Would you like for me to raise a question?
Would you like to read it? Sure, Michelle. Yeah, go for it. Go for it.
Yeah, sure. So it says, I. This comes from a review. It looks like a five star review, so. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
So it says, I like listening to your podcast. It's like treatment after a long day.
That's. That's wonderful.
Yeah. I have a question for you. What's the difference between emotion and feel? Feeling O. I search. I searched and asked AI, but I feel more confused. Can you explain and clarify the differences? Thank you in advance, Rama. 900. Yeah. Ooh, this is a good one.
I love this question. And I, you know, I totally understand that Rama tried to search on AI. We're all using AI these days, but it really just kicks back what you would find on Google. Right. And so.
Exactly.
So we're here to show you in context, to really break this down for you, Rama, and for all the rest of our listeners. But shelf first. What should our listeners do right now? What is the single action we want them to do before we continue with the show?
All right, guys, we want you to hit the follow button wherever you are listening to the All Ears English podcast because we don't want you to miss any episode. We want to make it easy so you remember to listen. You have it come straight to your queue.
All the good stuff, important. And of course, if you're watching in YouTube, which this show is on video in YouTube, hit the subscribe button in your case. Excellent. Michelle, let's get into answering this question directly for Rama. Emotion versus feeling. What do we think?
Okay, so, yeah, this is, I mean, Lindsay, do you have kind of a first instinct if I. Instinct of how you would explain this?
Yeah, emotions feel a little more raw and more initial. It's like the spark and then the feeling. Maybe kind of like the after effect, sort of the. The more refined when we're kind of exposed. Explain. Yeah, but emotions feel more raw to me. What do you think?
Right, More raw. Yeah, Yeah, I agree. I mean, so I was taking a look and I saw on this counselingcenter group dot com. Yeah, it does explain it. It says kind of the emotions are what happened initially and the feelings are, as they describe it, the afterglow. So kind of they explain that emotions are kind of, like you said, more raw and maybe it happens right away. And then this is interesting, it says feelings are how we process and interpret these emotional reactions on a conscious level. So it says, you know, you could like. So like the emotion it explains is kind of like that physical feeling. So it mentions a racing heart. Okay. And then how you process it is the feeling. So feeling okay, now I'm feeling scary scared. So, yes, it's, I mean, this is very kind of convoluted. So. But this is again from counselingcenter group dot com.
Yeah.
So I think, I mean, in some ways that makes sense to me. Right. Emotion, like you said, is more raw and feelings can to me be a little bit more general. I'm feeling happy, I'm feeling sad.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I, I also think that, I think another difference is that feelings are a bit more of a less articulate word. So if you're talking to a child about their feelings, you probably wouldn't say, tell me about your emotions. Right, right. It's.
Right.
It's a more. Feelings are kind of, the word is a bit more basic, if that makes sense, don't you think?
Yeah, yes, I think so. I, yes, you definitely. I mean, I'm also thinking of when you're watching something and, or, or let's say somebody's about to give a speech, right. About like a wedding or something, you know, and something kind of a high intensity, you know, a lot. Lots of feelings. They might say, oh, I'm getting emotional. Sorry. Right. They wouldn't say, I'm feeling, I mean, you can say, I'm feeling emotional.
Yeah. There is, there is no adjective that goes along with feelings in the way that emotions. Emotional works. You're right.
Interesting.
That is interesting. Yeah.
Yeah. So, okay, this is, you know, the, we're kind of talking more about like from that, that site that I read from, you know, that's a little bit more scientific. So, you know, they're not the same, but they are similar. But this is one of those situations. Do you think it's helpful for our listeners to be sitting there thinking about which is the difference? And when they're trying to connect with someone to be getting nervous about which one they should use. Do you think that's the best use of our time?
Absolutely not, Michelle. And I'm glad you asked that question, especially because here at Dollars English, we're all about connection. And when the, the words em and feeling are coming out around the scenario, you should be connecting with someone probably. Right, right. Instead of sitting there and thinking, which word should I use? I know that our listeners, sometimes one of the biggest challenges is second guessing yourself. But when emotions are raw and there's been something that's happened that is good or bad, we want to be there for the person.
Right.
We don't want to be in our head in this, you know, cerebral mode.
Yeah, right, right, exactly. So today we're going to go over, you know, how can we actually use this? How can we actually apply this? And what are some expressions, some common expressions that are really how we use these words, and how can we apply them to our conversations, to connect with people, to maybe comfort them, to share how we are feeling?
Articulate. Exactly. To articulate how we're feeling. That's kind of the mark of a, you know, of a mature adult who can. Someone that can articulate how they're feeling. Right. And relate to others around that feeling.
Right, right, right, right. Actually, that's interesting. So, yeah, if you think about it, emotion, it's not. It can't be a verb. Feeling. I am feeling that. Right.
And so, like, can't be enough.
You can't say I'm. You can't. Right. So you can't say I am emotioning. No.
That would be kind of cool, though. Maybe we should make that up and start that.
I kind of like it. Oh, I'm emotional.
Make that word go. Yeah, let's make that word trend, as they say.
Yeah, I like it. So interesting. Okay, so let's get started on these. I mean, again, basically, emotions are a little more formal. Feelings are less formal, a little more conversational. But let's go through with some of these idioms, these chunks. Lindsay, what's the first one?
Oh, I. Just one thing, which I. I just realized. You can say emoting. Right. And I guess this is. When I look up what this means. Portray emotion in a theatrical manner. Now, this is a word I don't really use very much, but I have seen it around, but I think maybe this is more dramatic, the use of that word.
Yeah.
Right.
It's. I think so, too. And I also think that it's not as. It's not quite the same thing as, like. Like, if we want to say I'm emotioning, I'm emotion. Like, you wouldn't say, like, I'm emotioning. Sad. Yeah.
No, no, no. It's not the same.
So I'm emoting. You still wouldn't even say, I'm emoting.
This really wouldn't. That would be weird, right? It's not.
So there is that word emoting, for sure. And that's a very good point to bring up.
But, yeah, still.
Still feels a little different, right?
Feels a little different. Yeah. Let's go through this. So I love the expression mixed emotions.
Yeah.
Right. So, for example, I used to love that restaurant, but now I have mixed emotions. Things have changed recently.
Yeah.
So here we're getting our emotions involved when it comes to our opinion of a restaurant. So it must be something we feel pretty strongly about, right?
Right. Yes, yes, exactly. So mixed emotions. Or here's another one. Oh, wait, that was. Sorry. Oh, oh, oh, okay. So then there's just emotional. Yes. Right. Social. Yes. So for example, in the last month of my pregnancy, my hormones made me super emotional.
So it just means you're up and down and feeling things very strongly. Maybe you're like really excited and then you're really sad. Just a flip of the. A switch, right?
Yes, exactly.
Yeah.
Or this one is very common. Lindsay, what is the next one?
Oh, emotional roller coaster. So being friends with you is an emotional roller coaster. Oh, my gosh, that's not good. There are people, right? I'm sure we could think of people in our lives we've known that kind of. There's always drama, right? There's always drama up and down and.
Right.
It is an emotional roller coaster. Yeah.
What does that mean? I mean, an emotional. I mean, you kind of said it already, but yeah.
If we think of the way a roller coaster goes, it goes up and down, it goes around. Just the emotions are not stable. Right. They're always feeling good and then feeling bad. And it's. It can be hard to be around that sometimes. Yeah.
This is a very, very common expression. And it can be used again. And. And these don't need to be used for extreme situation. These can be used also just for your basic. Oh, today was a little bit of an emotional roller coaster. You know, I, like, I messed something up at work and then I, you know, it doesn't have to be like so extreme. Right. So they're just. These are really common. I don't want you to think that these aren't. Are only reserved for something tragic, right?
Yeah, yeah, exactly. If it's a roller coaster for you, then you can use that. Right. Depending on what happens, roller coaster for someone might not be a roller coaster for someone else, depending on what's actually happened. Right, exactly.
Yes, good point.
Interesting.
Michelle Kaplan
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Lindsey McMahon
All right, Michelle, so let's go over to Feelings. You know the word feelings? This could be a noun or a verb, Right?
Right, right. So you could say, I have a good feel feeling or I have a bad feeling about something. So you could, you know, a something feeling, a bad feeling, a good feeling, a funny feeling, a weird feeling, a strange feeling. Right? Yeah, yeah.
A trademark phrase, Michelle. I feel funny. I know.
I was just thinking about that. I feel funny. That's my trademark. So. But yeah, I mean, so what does that mean to say I have a good feeling about something?
Well, it depends. So if I'm saying I have a bad feeling in my neck, it just means I have probably some pain or like a knot. Right. But I have a good feeling about X. Like, I have a good feeling that I'll get the job. It's kind of like you have a hunch.
You have a hunch. Yes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It feels like there's something in the air where there's signs everywhere that something good is going to happen. Auspicious, I think is the word, right? Yeah, yeah.
And then, you know, it. Just to go back to emotion, you wouldn't say, I have, like, a bad emotion in my neck, Right? We. That's another. Another point that we can make is a feeling would only be. Is the only one out of those two that you can use for some. Something physical, right?
Yes. 100 for sure. We do not want to say I have a bad emotion in my neck. That would be weird. All right, next one. Feeling okay? Feeling fine. You know, I'm feeling okay, but I need more rest tonight. You know, people are checking in on you. How are you doing? Often we're just kind of. We're okay or we don't quite know how we are. I think, honestly, you know, in. At least in American culture, I don't know that we're really taught to know how we're feeling all the time. You know, I know that emotions can really reverberate throughout the body, and I don't. At least I'll Speak for myself, I don't know if I really learned the skills of understanding, like, how feelings were affecting my body. Does that make sense?
Yeah. Oh, definitely. I mean, you realize all the time when you do some sort of relaxation or whatever and they say, oh, unclench your jaw on. You know, and you think of those things and you. And. And you realize, oh, my gosh, I was holding everything right.
Or another. Another embarrassing example for me is a couple years ago when I was coming back from Egypt, I got a massage in the Frankfurt airport.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsey McMahon
You know how airport massages in the chair? So I had been really stressed out before I went on the trip. And I sat down the. In the massage chair and I started bawling like, crying like crazy. I could. It was uncontrollable crying, Michelle, like, worse than I've cried in a long time. And then I couldn't stop. Like, I had to stop the massage, pay the money. And then I continued to cry. It was incredible.
So, like, all this emotion was such a relief. Yeah.
It was so weird. And this might be cultural, you know, I think probably other cultures do a better, better job of, I don't know, listening to their bodies or giving their body space to. For emotions to flow through, but I know for me, I didn't really learn that growing up.
Yeah, interesting. So what after that happened? Like, did you feel like a weight was lifted or how did. Did that help you?
Yeah, I think I felt a weight lifted. Yeah. I would say I felt better a while. I definitely cried in the airport for another half hour after I was holding. From the. From the massage parlor. Yeah. So very weird, right? But not weird. Normal. Yes.
Yeah, but it's true. Like, yeah, I. I always notice it when, you know, I watch, like, I don't know, there's even this guy on Instagram that will say, oh, relax this part of your face. And you. They say, oh, you know, real. I. I think it's a lot in the jaw.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
There's like, a lot of like. Or are you clenching your teeth constantly throughout the day when you don't real. You don't even realize. Right.
Or your shoulders. I know a lot of people hold a lot of emotion in their shoulders. They clench all day long, so. Oh, boy, Michelle, that's another episode.
Yeah, we're really getting into it, so. All right, Another one is just to hurt someone's feelings, right? Yes. You don't really hurt someone's emotions. Right. You. You would say, he hurt my feelings when he told me my bag was ugly.
Oh, yeah. And with this one, I would give a little caveat. It's a little bit of a younger kind of phrase. Right. So I wouldn't say, like, oh, my boss hurt my feelings. Right. Like, to my co worker, that. That's a little young. It's a little. It's something you would say to a kid. Did you hurt your brother's feelings?
Right. Yes. Yes, exactly. Good point. And then the last one is a gut feeling. Right. So that's your. Your, like your special superpower. You're, you know, like, I have an idea. Like something's telling me in my body.
Yes. We've talked about this on the show before. Some people are really good, you know, with their gut. They can just feel that something's gonna happen or have a feeling about a person. Right. That's a good one. So what are. What are. Yeah.
One example with that is my gut feelings are usually right. He's a bad guy.
So again, maybe you find that out later. Right. Maybe it's something you couldn't put your finger on. That's a good expression for today. But then, you know, a year later, you realize why you didn't like your friend's boyfriend. Right. He did something that wasn't obvious in the beginning. Yeah.
Yes, exactly. So, yeah, basically, what it boils down to is feelings are kind of less formal. I would say they're. It's. I would say, in general, they're kind of used like that word is thrown out a little bit more frequently. You know, it's. It's a little bit more casual and common, and emotions are a little bit more raw. And then the. So. So I would say that's one. And then also to think of those idioms, those collocations, you know, don't worry so much about the science. Think about how it's actually used in conversations and throw those out there.
I love that Michelle Will said, let's get into a quick role play. Do we have a few minutes for this?
Yes, let's do it. So we're going to use several of these in here. So here we are, friends, and I am venting to Lindsay about my living situation.
All right, here we go. So do you like it there?
Mixed emotions, really?
I have a feeling that you'll change your mind. It's only been a month.
That's true. But it's been an emotional roller coaster with my roommate.
Oh, no. Really?
Yeah. I just have a gut feeling that this isn't gonna work. I think I hurt her feelings when I told her I wasn't Open to a housewarming party. Oh, no.
Yeah. I mean, we talk about our feelings with our friends. Right. Maybe women do it more than men. I don't know. I don't know. But definitely, we talk about how we're experiencing things in real time by using words like emotions and feelings. So.
Yeah.
I asked you how you like it at your new living situation. You said, mixed emotions. You didn't say, I have mixed emotions.
You said, yeah, that's true. You said, really? I have a feeling that you'll change your mind. So you're saying, I have a hunch, you know, it's gonna be okay.
Yes. And then you said, that's true, but it's been an emotional roller coaster with my roommate. Yeah. Very common response when someone. You've gone through a lot with a person already.
Yeah. And then I said, I just have a gut feeling this isn't gonna work.
Sometimes you can know. You can know when things are not going to line up between you and another person. And you said, I think I hurt her feelings when I told her it wasn't open to a housewarming party. Party. Yeah.
Maybe I should lighten up and wanna. Maybe.
Yeah. I don't know. Sometimes you're just not a match, you know, for roommates or friends or partners. It's just, like, not working, you know, emotional with roommates.
Yeah, it's okay. It happens.
Yeah, me too. I had a lot of roommates in New York and many of them were not a great match, so.
Yeah.
Yeah. Michelle, what's another episode we could go to?
All right, guys, check out episode 2437. That was. Are you Good Cop or Bad Cop? That was a really fun one. I think I did that one with Aubrey. Listen to that.
I love it. Any final takeaway here, Michelle?
Yeah, this is one of those episodes where we can dive in and get all into the science of what the difference is and. But really it's about the context and how are we going to use it. So I would say that is the biggest thing to take away from here. We gave you some basic guidelines, the parts of speech and this and that, but really it comes down to how do we use it? And this is also really important for connection. So if you're getting bogged down in your head in this moment and getting all stressed out about it, it could break the connection. So let's focus on learning some of these actual expressions, these idioms. These are what are really going to help you.
Yeah. This is live. This is being a human being, living and breathing right this experiencing emotions. And so if you are in your head, don't be in your head for these moments because someone might need you. Right. Maybe there's been some kind of event and they need you with them. Not standing outside of the group thinking, am I gonna use the right word? Okay, right. Super important.
Yeah. Right. Because if you think of it just one more point, like in the end, like, you know, even the rules we gave, like, they don't always work. Like, for example, mixed emotions, you know, we're saying that emotions are more raw, you know, mixed emotions. That's pretty conversational. You know what I mean? So it doesn't always. Not everything fits into a bucket. And so let's, you know, don't, don't. I wouldn't analyze too much or get too worried about it, but yeah, and.
Always just come back to connection. Where is the connection in that moment? Right.
I love it.
So good. Michelle, great chat today about emotions and feelings. And I will see you next time. All right?
All right. Bye, Lindsay. Bye, guys.
Michelle Kaplan
Thanks for listening.
Lindsey McMahon
To all ears. English.
Michelle Kaplan
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Lindsey McMahon
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Michelle Kaplan
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Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Podcast Description: An engaging ESL podcast aimed at intermediate to advanced English learners, focusing on everyday vocabulary, idioms, American culture, and practical language skills for connection over perfection.
In Episode 2451, titled "Emotion Versus Feeling - What's the Difference?", hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the nuanced distinctions between the words "emotion" and "feeling." They aim to clarify these concepts to help listeners use them appropriately in everyday conversations, enhancing both their language skills and interpersonal connections.
Lindsay McMahon (00:44):
"Emotions feel a little more raw and more initial. It's like the spark, and then the feeling is maybe kind of like the after effect, sort of the more refined when we're kind of exposed."
Michelle Kaplan (05:02):
"Emotions are what happened initially, and feelings are the afterglow. Emotions are more raw and happen right away, while feelings are how we process and interpret these emotional reactions on a conscious level."
The hosts explain that emotions are immediate, intense responses to stimuli, often accompanied by physical sensations (e.g., a racing heart). In contrast, feelings are the conscious acknowledgment and interpretation of these emotions (e.g., recognizing that one feels scared).
The discussion transitions to various idioms and expressions that incorporate "emotion" and "feeling," illustrating their practical usage:
Mixed Emotions
Emotional Roller Coaster
Gut Feeling
Hurt Someone's Feelings
Feeling Okay/Fine
These expressions demonstrate how "emotions" tend to convey deeper or more intense states, while "feelings" are used in more everyday, conversational contexts.
To solidify understanding, the hosts engage in a roleplay scenario illustrating the use of "emotion" and "feeling" in conversation:
Scenario: Discussing a challenging living situation with a roommate.
Key Takeaways from Roleplay:
This roleplay underscores the importance of using these terms to convey genuine emotions and feelings, fostering better communication and understanding in personal interactions.
Lindsay (07:44):
"Absolutely not, Michelle. Here at All Ears English, we're all about connection. When the words emotion and feeling are coming out, you should be connecting with someone probably, right?"
Michelle (20:19):
"Don't worry so much about the science. Think about how it's actually used in conversations and throw those expressions out there."
The hosts emphasize that while understanding the technical differences between "emotion" and "feeling" is beneficial, the primary focus should be on using these words to connect with others authentically. They advocate for prioritizing meaningful interactions over perfect word choice, encouraging listeners to engage naturally in conversations.
Lindsay (23:12):
"This is about being a human being, living and breathing, experiencing emotions. If you are in your head, don't be in your head for these moments because someone might need you."
Michelle (22:32):
"It's about the context and how we're going to use it. Focus on connection."
Key Points:
Lindsay McMahon
Michelle Kaplan
Michelle Kaplan
Lindsay McMahon
Michelle Kaplan
Lindsay McMahon
Episode 2451 of the All Ears English Podcast provides valuable insights into the subtle differences between "emotion" and "feeling." By exploring definitions, common expressions, and practical applications, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan equip listeners with the tools to use these terms effectively in conversations. The emphasis on connection over perfection encourages learners to engage authentically, enhancing both their language proficiency and interpersonal relationships.
Ready to deepen your understanding of American English? Subscribe to the All Ears English Podcast and join a community focused on meaningful connections and continuous learning!