Vocabulary
B2
6 min read
Updated 15 June 2026
Quick Answer
Empathy is the ability to share and understand another person's feelings from their point of view; sympathy is feeling pity, compassion, or sorrow for someone else.
Empathy and sympathy both describe responding to other people's emotions, and both end in the Greek -pathy (feeling). The difference lies in the prefix and the distance. Empathy (from em-, in) means feeling with someone — imagining yourself in their position and sharing their emotion. Sympathy (from sym-, together) means feeling for someone — pity or concern from the outside. Empathy steps into another's shoes; sympathy reaches out from your own.
At a Glance: Empathy vs Sympathy
| Word | Part of Speech | Pronunciation | Core Meaning |
|---|
| empathy |
noun |
/ˈempəθi/ |
the ability to understand and share another's feelings |
| sympathy |
noun |
/ˈsɪmpəθi/ |
feelings of pity and compassion for someone's misfortune |
Using “Empathy”
Empathy is the capacity to understand and share what another person is feeling, almost as if you were experiencing it yourself. It implies imagination and emotional connection, not just kindness from a distance.
When to use it
- Sharing another's feelings: show empathy
- Understanding from their viewpoint: empathy for patients
- A key skill in caring and leadership
- Feeling with, not just for, someone
- Related words: empathetic, empathise
Good nurses show real empathy with their patients.
Her empathy let her sense exactly how he felt.
Leaders need empathy to understand their teams.
I felt deep empathy, having been through the same loss.
The film builds empathy for its struggling hero.
Using “Sympathy”
Sympathy is a feeling of pity, compassion, or sorrow for someone else's misfortune, often expressed as support or condolence. It is felt for a person rather than shared with them.
When to use it
- Pity for misfortune: I have sympathy for them
- Condolences: my deepest sympathy
- Support for a cause: sympathy for the strikers
- Compassion from the outside
- Related words: sympathetic, sympathise
Please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss.
I have a lot of sympathy for first-time parents.
The crowd showed sympathy for the injured player.
She wrote a card to express her sympathy.
He has no sympathy for people who cheat.
The Key Difference
Ask whether you feel with someone or for them. Empathy means sharing and understanding another's feelings from the inside — you imagine their experience as your own. Sympathy means feeling pity or compassion from the outside — you are sorry for them without necessarily sharing the emotion. Empathy connects and understands; sympathy comforts and pities.
Memory Tip
Empathy starts like embrace — you step in and share the feeling. Sympathy starts like send — you send your compassion from outside. Feeling with equals empathy; feeling for equals sympathy.
Common Mistakes
She sent her empathy after hearing about the funeral.
She sent her sympathy after hearing about the funeral. (condolence is sympathy)
Having lost a parent myself, I felt real sympathy and knew exactly how she felt.
Having lost a parent myself, I felt real empathy and knew exactly how she felt. (sharing the same feeling is empathy)
A good counsellor needs sympathy to truly share the client's emotions.
A good counsellor needs empathy to truly share the client's emotions. (understanding from within is empathy)
Please accept my empathy on the death of your grandfather.
Please accept my sympathy on the death of your grandfather. (offering compassion is sympathy)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?
Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings from their point of view, almost as if you were experiencing the emotion yourself. Sympathy is feeling pity, compassion, or sorrow for someone, usually from the outside. The simplest summary is that empathy means feeling with a person, while sympathy means feeling for them. Both end in the Greek -pathy, meaning feeling, but empathy involves stepping into someone's shoes, whereas sympathy involves caring about their situation without necessarily sharing the emotion.
Is empathy stronger than sympathy?
Empathy is usually seen as deeper and more personal than sympathy, because it involves actually sharing and understanding another's emotions rather than just feeling sorry for them. Sympathy is warm and supportive but more distant, like sending condolences. Empathy requires imagination and emotional connection, putting yourself in the other person's place. Neither is better in every situation, but empathy tends to create a stronger bond, while sympathy is often the appropriate response to grief or misfortune you have not personally shared.
Which word do I use for condolences?
Use sympathy. When someone has suffered a loss, you offer your sympathy or condolences, as in please accept my deepest sympathy. This expresses compassion and support for their grief. Empathy would sound odd on a condolence card, because empathy describes sharing the feeling, which you do only if you have been through the same loss. For comforting messages after a death or misfortune, sympathy is the standard, expected word.
Can you have empathy without sympathy?
Yes. Empathy is understanding and sharing what another person feels, which does not always mean pitying them or approving of them. For example, a negotiator might empathise with an opponent, accurately sensing their feelings, without feeling sympathy or wanting to help. Likewise, you can understand exactly why someone is angry while not pitying them. So empathy is about accurate emotional understanding, whereas sympathy adds compassion and a wish for the person's wellbeing.
How do you pronounce empathy and sympathy?
Empathy is pronounced /ˈempəθi/, roughly EM-puh-thee, with the stress on the first syllable and a soft th sound. Sympathy is pronounced /ˈsɪmpəθi/, roughly SIM-puh-thee, also stressed on the first syllable. The two words rhyme at the end and differ mainly at the start: the EM sound for empathy and the SIM sound for sympathy. Listening for that opening syllable is the easiest way to tell them apart in speech.
What are the verb and adjective forms?
Empathy gives the verb empathise, as in I can empathise with you, and the adjective empathetic or empathic, as in an empathetic teacher. Sympathy gives the verb sympathise, as in I sympathise with your situation, and the adjective sympathetic, as in a sympathetic listener. The forms mirror the nouns, so the same rule applies: empathise and empathetic involve sharing feelings, while sympathise and sympathetic involve feeling compassion for someone.
Is empathy a skill you can learn?
Many psychologists believe empathy can be developed, not just inherited. By listening carefully, asking questions, and imagining how a situation feels from another's point of view, people can strengthen their empathy over time. It is widely regarded as a key skill in caring professions, leadership, and good communication. Sympathy, by contrast, is more of an emotional response of pity. So empathy is often discussed as a trainable ability, while sympathy is treated as a feeling that arises naturally.
Which word means feeling sorry for someone?
Sympathy is the word for feeling sorry for someone. It describes pity and compassion for another person's misfortune, as in I have great sympathy for them. Empathy goes further, meaning you actually share and understand the feeling, not merely feel sorry about it. So if you simply feel pity or concern for someone's hard situation without necessarily experiencing their emotion yourself, the accurate word is sympathy rather than empathy.
Why are empathy and sympathy confused?
They are confused because they sound alike, share the Greek ending -pathy meaning feeling, and both describe emotional responses to other people. The crucial difference is the prefix and the relationship: empathy means feeling with someone, sharing their emotion, while sympathy means feeling for someone, offering pity or compassion. Because the meanings overlap in everyday kindness, writers mix them up. Tying empathy to shared understanding and sympathy to condolence and pity keeps them clear.
How can I remember which word to use?
Link the prefixes to a picture. Empathy begins like embrace and means stepping inside another's feelings to feel with them. Sympathy begins with sym and pairs naturally with condolences and support, feeling for someone from outside. So if you are sharing and understanding the emotion, choose empathy; if you are offering pity, comfort, or condolence, choose sympathy. Ask whether it is feeling with or feeling for, and the right word follows.
Practice Empathy vs Sympathy
Test your vocabulary with free interactive exercises — flash cards, quizzes, and more. No sign-up needed.
Try Flash Cards →
Related Confusing Words