Confusing words explained
“feeling” vs “sense” — What’s the Difference?
Sense is perception; feeling is the emotional or physical response
Key takeaway
Quick Difference: feeling vs sense
Sense is perception; feeling is the emotional or physical response
feeling vs sense Side-by-Side Comparison
Meaning of feeling
An emotion or physical sensation experienced by a person.
An emotion or sense that you experience, like happiness, sadness, or pain.
Use 'feeling' as a countable noun (a feeling, the feeling) or uncountable (describe feelings in general).
- Her first feeling was surprise when she opened the gift.
- The feeling of warm sunlight is very pleasant.
Meaning of sense
A physical faculty of perception (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell); or practical understanding and good judgment.
One of five ways you perceive the world (seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling); or the ability to understand situations and make good decisions.
Use "sense of" for abstract qualities ("sense of humor"). Use "senses" for physical perception. "Make sense" is very common in conversation.
- The five senses help us understand the world around us.
- She has a strong sense of responsibility toward her family.
Usage Notes & Nuance
sense: Idioms include "make sense" (be understandable), "common sense" (practical judgment), and "sixth sense" (intuition).
How to Remember the Difference
Feeling = emotional awareness (vaguer); sense = cognitive or perceptual awareness (more specific).
Common Mistakes with feeling and sense
Mistake with feeling
Wrong: What feeling do you have about it?
Correct: What feelings do you have about it?
Plural 'feelings' is more natural when referring to multiple emotions someone experiences.
Mistake with feeling
Wrong: I don't have any feeling about it.
Correct: I don't have any feelings about it.
When negating or discussing general emotional states, use plural 'feelings' rather than singular.
Mistake with sense
Wrong: He have good common sense.
Correct: He has good common sense.
Singular "he" requires singular verb "has", not "have".
Mistake with sense
Wrong: The sense of smell are important.
Correct: The sense of smell is important.
The noun "sense" is singular, so verb must be "is", not "are".
Practice Quiz: feeling or sense?
Choose the word that best completes each real example sentence.
Question 1
Her first _____ was surprise when she opened the gift.
Question 2
The _____ of warm sunlight is very pleasant.
Question 3
I have a bad _____ about this situation.
Pick at least one answer, then press Check answers to see how you did.
You scored 0 out of 3
Frequently Asked Questions About feeling vs sense
What’s the difference between “feeling” and “sense”?
Sense is perception; feeling is the emotional or physical response
When should I use “feeling”?
Use 'feeling' as a countable noun (a feeling, the feeling) or uncountable (describe feelings in general).
When should I use “sense”?
Use "sense of" for abstract qualities ("sense of humor"). Use "senses" for physical perception. "Make sense" is very common in conversation.
How can I remember feeling vs sense?
Feeling = emotional awareness (vaguer); sense = cognitive or perceptual awareness (more specific).
Is it “feeling” or “sense” in example sentences?
Use the quiz above to test the pair with real example sentences from the available word data.