🧠 “Hear” or “feel” a smell? Why the debate over words looks ridiculous 💬 I often encounter a situation in life: I say “feel” a smell, and people correct me — they say I should say “hear a smell.” This causes confusion. Let's figure out why this discussion arises at all and why imposing “hear a smell” is, to put it mildly, strange. Feelings and language: where is the logic? 🔹 To smell is a natural expression, because the sense of smell is associated with the sense organ — the nose. We “feel” smells in the same way as we feel heat or cold. 🔹 To hear a smell — sounds like a metaphor that could have appeared in literature. For example, authors sometimes “hear” the wind, “feel” silence, or “hear a smell” to add poetry to the text. But in everyday speech, this sounds strange. Why do people correct? 1. Language snobbery. Some people think that unconventional expressions are a sign of intelligence or culture. The word “hear” sounds unusual, and some perceive it as the “correct” option. 2. The influence of literature. Such expressions are more common in fiction than in colloquial speech. People familiar with them may decide that this is the norm for all situations. 3. Misunderstanding. Perhaps someone just heard that this is “correct” one day and began to impose this idea on others without thinking about logic. Why does “hear a smell” sound ridiculous? 🔹 “Hear” refers to hearing - sounds that are caught by the ears. Using this word to describe a smell is contrary to physiology. 🔹 In everyday speech, such phrases cause confusion because they do not reflect reality. We feel smells, but do not hear them. 🔹 It's like saying “I see cold” or “I hear light”. Yes, it may be a metaphor, but in everyday speech it sounds strange. Which is correct? In fact, both expressions are acceptable, but: • “To smell” is natural and logical, because it is associated with the function of the nose. • “To hear the smell” is appropriate in rare cases, for example, in poetic speech or with an ironic tone. If you are corrected, simply argue: “I prefer to say ‘to feel’ because it reflects reality and sounds more natural.” Conclusion You don’t need to be afraid of sounding “uncultured” when saying “to smell”. This is an absolutely normal expression, rooted in language and logic. And those who insist on “to smell” can be asked: why do their ears smell and not their nose? Speak as you feel comfortable, and don’t let pseudo-linguistic snobbery rule your speech. 😊