Emotional describes a state or reaction driven by internal feelings or affect, often intense or expressive. It can refer to a response, a person’s mood, or a style characterized by strong feelings. In usage, it frequently modifies nouns related to behavior, experience, or expression, highlighting affect over rational consideration.
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"Her emotional response surprised everyone at the meeting."
"The film is so emotional that I cried during the final scene."
"He gave an emotional speech about his late grandmother."
"Teachers should be mindful of students’ emotional needs in class."
Emotional originates from the noun emotion, which comes from the Latin emovere meaning to move or excite. The root emo- derives from Latin movere, “to move.” The suffix -al forms an adjective. The term emerged in English in the 18th–19th centuries as philosophers and writers described states or displays related to feeling. Early uses connected emotion with moral or psychological states; by the 19th century, emotional began to bridge psychology and everyday behavior, evolving to describe both inward feelings and outward expressions. Over time, the word broadened to include cultural and artistic contexts (emotional appeal, music’s emotional impact), while maintaining its core sense of relating to or expressing strong feelings.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "emotional" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "emotional"
-nal sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃə.nəl/ in US English, with secondary stress on the second syllable. In careful speech, break into four syllables: ih-MO-shuh-nuhl. The first syllable is a short short 'ih' sound, the second carries primary stress and uses the long 'o' as in 'go,' followed by a lenient, schwa-like 'ə' and a final 'nəl' with clear 'l' ending. In UK English you’ll hear /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən(ə)l/ and in Australian /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃə.nəl/ audiences similar to US patterns but with slight vowel coloring in non-rhotic contexts. Audio reference: listen for the strong mid-second syllable and the final syllable reduced to schwa+əl in rapid speech.
Common errors include over-simplifying to ‘em-shun-uhl’ or flattening to two syllables. People sometimes stress the first syllable: e-MO-tional instead of ih-MO-shən-əl. Another mistake is pronouncing ‘al’ as a hard ‘al’ rather than the softer, light ‘əl’ at the end. Correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable, render the third as a weak schwa, and finish with a light 'l' or 'əl' sound. Aim for /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃə.nəl/ (US) and adjust to /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən(ə)l/ (UK).
US: /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃə.nəl/ with rhoticity; the second syllable carries primary stress and the final is a light ‘əl’ or ‘nəl’. UK: /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən(ə)l/ with a rounded long 'o' in the second syllable and less rhoticity in some regions; final syllable often reduced to /ən/ or /nəl/. AU: /ˌɛmˈoʊ.ʃən(ə)l/ or /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃə.nəl/ similar to US but vowel quality can be broader; non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers.
It combines a stressed diphthong in the second syllable with a trailing unstressed syllable that reduces to a schwa. The challenge is maintaining the strong /oʊ/ in the second syllable while not letting the third syllable flatten into a weaker vowel; you also juggle a final light 'əl' versus a more pronounced 'nəl.' Practice segmenting into four parts: /ɪ/ - /ˈmoʊ/ - /ʃə/ - /nəl/ and connect smoothly with minimal air in the ending.
In rapid connected speech, the /əl/ final can vocalize as a syllabic n or a very light, almost silent l, depending on pace. The sequence often reduces to ih-MO-shənəl with a quick linking of the 'n' to the next word starting with a consonant, or the /ə/ may be elided slightly in fast talk: ih-MO-sh’nəl. Focusing on keeping the second syllable clear helps maintain intelligibility.
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