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'Sensible' means practical and reasonable; 'sensitive' means easily affected or hurt, in feelings or physically.
Side-by-side comparison
In English it means reasonable, wise, or practical: someone with good judgment. "A sensible decision" = a wise decision.
That is a very sensible decision.
Wear sensible shoes for the hike.
She is a sensible woman who thinks before acting.
"She's very sensitive" = she reacts strongly to emotional or physical stimuli.
She is very sensitive about her appearance.
He has sensitive skin that reacts to sunscreen.
This is a sensitive topic, so let's be careful.
Common mistake
- •The classic false friend: "She is very sensible" in English means she is very WISE or practical, not that she cries easily or is emotionally reactive.
- •For emotional reactivity, the correct word is "sensitive."
Trick to remember it
- •"Sensible" in English contains "sense" (common sense), rational and practical.
- •The "-ble" ending goes with reason; the "-tive" ending goes with emotion.
Quick rule
Meaning "reasonable" or "practical"? "Sensible." Meaning "emotionally reactive" or "easily affected"? "Sensitive."
Did you know?
Both words come from the Latin sensibilis, "capable of being felt or sensed". English split them: "sensible" moved toward good judgment ("a sensible choice"), while "sensitive" kept the idea of feeling and reacting. "Sensitive" also has wider uses: "sensitive information" (confidential), "politically sensitive" (delicate) and "price sensitive" (greatly affected by price changes).
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She made a very _____ decision to save money before moving abroad.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
He's very _____ about criticism. He gets upset very easily.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
'Adopt' means to take something on as your own; 'adapt' means to adjust to something new.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy