"Feel" is an internal or physical sensation; "seem" is an external impression others perceive.
To be in a certain state emotionally or physically. Also: to touch or examine by touch.
I feel tired today. I didn't sleep well last night.
How do you feel about the new project?
The fabric feels incredibly soft. What is it made of?
To give the impression of being something. What others perceive from the outside.
You seem tired today. Are you okay?
That idea seems complicated, but let's hear more about it.
It seems like it might rain later. The sky is getting dark.
Common mistake
Using "feel" when the subject is an inanimate thing: "the problem feels complicated" exists but sounds slightly unusual — "seems complicated" is more natural for objects and situations. Another error: "seem" for talking about your own physical sensations: "I seem tired" implies others see it from outside, not that you feel it internally. If it is your direct experience: "I feel tired".
Trick to remember it
Ask yourself: who is experiencing it? If it is the speaker, from the inside: "I feel". If it is how someone or something appears to others: "seem". Example: the doctor tells a patient "you seem pale" (you look pale — I see it from outside). The patient responds "I feel dizzy" (I feel dizzy — I experience it from inside).
Quick rule
Feel = internal experience (I sense it). Seem = external perception (others see it in you or in something).
Did you know?
Both "feel" and "seem" are linking verbs, just like "look", "sound", "smell", "taste", "appear". They all function like the Spanish "ser/estar" — connecting the subject to an adjective that describes it: "she feels happy", "it seems strange", "that smells delicious". They do not take a direct object.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
You _____ distracted today. Is something on your mind?
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
After a long hike, I _____ exhausted and hungry.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Feel = internal experience (I sense it). Seem = external perception (others see it in you or in something).
Using "feel" when the subject is an inanimate thing: "the problem feels complicated" exists but sounds slightly unusual — "seems complicated" is more natural for objects and situations. Another error: "seem" for talking about your own physical sensations: "I seem tired" implies others see it from outside, not that you feel it internally. If it is your direct experience: "I feel tired".
Ask yourself: who is experiencing it? If it is the speaker, from the inside: "I feel". If it is how someone or something appears to others: "seem". Example: the doctor tells a patient "you seem pale" (you look pale — I see it from outside). The patient responds "I feel dizzy" (I feel dizzy — I experience it from inside).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy