As you try to figure out more about feal vs feel, you’ll probably realize that these words sound the same when spoken. A question many ask about these words is, “should I use feal in place of feel?”
Feal is an adjective and archaic work that means faithful. People used this term also to mean “loyal, true, neat, or reliable.” On the other hand, “feel” means to use the sense of touch or to become aware of through the skin.” Also, to find a way by touching.
Are you ready to learn more about the differences between feal and feel? What about learning their similarities? Read this article for answers to these questions and a lot more.
Definitions Of Feal And Feel
The best way to go when attempting to differentiate similar words is by checking the definitions in the dictionary. The definitions of feal and feel are:
Definitions Of Feal
This adjective means loyal, true, neat, or reliable. Another meaning is “cozy, neat, clean, comfortable, or safe.” Note that these definitions were embraced in Britain, Northern England, and Scotland dialects, but have since been outdated.
Another obsolete meaning of feal is to press on or advance (verb). As a verb, the word also means “to hide.” As an adverb, this word means “in a feal manner.”
Definitions Of Feel
Feel means “to use the sense of touch.” For instance, to feel her skin. As a verb, the term “feel” also means “to become aware of through the skin.” For example, to feel a heartbeat by placing fingers on your chest.
As a transitive verb, this word means to identify something or someone through touch or movements they make. Another meaning is to have a body response after an action and not necessarily after touching, it can be after hearing or smelling.
Also, feel means to search by a sense of touch, think emotionally or judgmentally or experience an emotion. For example, “I could feel the sadness in Joe’s voice.
Some sources define this word as “to think, believe, or have an impression concerning someone or something.” For example, “I feel the need to discuss the matter.”
In psychology, it is used to mean “experience an emotion or any other mental state.” For example, “I feel strongly about the new bill.” Another meaning is “to sympathize or have the sensibilities moved or affected.” For example, “I feel for the prisoners.”
As a noun, the word feel refers to:
- A vague mental impression
- A quality of an object experienced by touch
- A vague understanding of something
- An intuitive ability or an intuitive awareness
- An act of fondling
How To Properly Use Feal And Feel In A Sentence
After reading the definitions above, using these words becomes easy. Here are some tips to help you put the words feal and feel into use:
How To Use The Word Feal
You ought to be careful when using this word in sentences because there are varying opinions about its correctness. For instance, some sources recognize it as an English word with multiple meanings, while others recognize it as an obsolete word or a misspelling of feel.
The word feal is a verb that means “to stay loyal.” It is a verb in the present tense. Its past tense or past participle is fealed, and the simple present indicative form of feel is feals. You’ll hardly find these word forms because feal is obsolete.
How To Use The Word Feel
You can use this word in a sentence as a verb. A verb is a word that denotes an action. Use feel to mean:
- To examine via the sense of touch
- To be aware through touching
- To experience an emotion or sensation (negative, general, or positive)
- To move around without perfect vision
- To hold an opinion
- To believe without reason
- To search by groping
- To empathize
This word is also a noun. Therefore, use it as a noun to showcase the following:
- The sense of touch
- A mood in a specific environment
- A gentle, loving touch
- An intuitive skill
- A feeling about something or someone
- An outward appearance of something
As a noun, this word falls under the countable nouns. So, its plural form is “feels.”
On the other hand, since this word is primarily a verb, it has several other word forms. For example, the past tense or past participle of feel is felt. The present participle of feel is feeling. Also, the third-person singular simple present indicative form of feel is feels. You can use any of these word forms depending on your sentence and subject.
Feal Vs Feel: Differences, Similarities, And Much More
There is more to the words feel and feal than their similar spellings. Here are some similarities and differences:
Syllables And Pronunciation (Similarity)
Feel and feal have the same pronunciation. Both words are pronounced as “/feel/.” Additionally, both these words have one syllable, which makes their pronunciation simple.
History And Etymology (Difference)
The word “feel” comes from the old English “felan,” meaning “to touch, perceive, or have a sensory experience of something.” This word also comes from the Proto-Germanic “foljanan,” meaning “having a mental perception.” The word feel also has Old High German and Old Norse origins.
The first recorded application of the word feal as a verb was in the early 14th century from the Northern English and Northern Midlands word “fela,” meaning “to hide or bury.” Its use as an adjective was recorded in the 1560s in Middle English, from the Old French “feal,” meaning “faithful, love, or sincere.” This definition is currently obsolete. Also, its first use as a noun was in the 13th century from Old French, “feaute,” meaning “loyalty or fidelity.”
Popularity And Usage (Difference)
The word feel is more popular than feel because there are no questions about its validity and definition. In contrast, feal is less common. Also, feal is more prevalent in Britain, Northern England, and Scotland dialects, while feel is common in English and American dialects.
List Of Examples Of Feal And Feel Use In Sentences
Feal and feel are easy words to use in sentences. Note that examples on “feal” sound incorrect because of the obsolete nature of this word. Here are some sample sentences to help you learn:
Example sentences of the word feal
- I have learned to feal the wind and know what to dress.
- Feal free to contact any of your supervisors.
- I feal interested in my siblings.
- The mattress feals comfy, irrespective of its condition.
- I feal very anxious about what is to come after the elections.
Example sentences of the word feel
- I feel for the prisoners, especially during this Christmas season.
- I feel strongly about the governor’s decision to strip women of the right to decide the fate of their fetuses.
- The protesters will feel the police force’s wrath when they go beyond the barricade.
- The cup feels more melanin than glass because of its coating.
- The doctor asked me to feel my face and notice how the organic cream had helped.
Conclusion
Feel is the correct English word if you want to describe a person or thing’s physical or emotional experience of another. Depending on the subject, this word expresses emotions, experiences, and opinions. It is primarily a verb, but you can also use it as a noun.
On the other hand, feal is a less popular word with many controversies surrounding its correctness. Many sources call it a misspelling of the word “feel” or an archaic word, while others recognize it. With all these issues, please avoid this word.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.