Cool MateFeel like vs Wish
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Feel like
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Wish
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Most common: Wish
| Feel like | Wish | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //fiːl laɪk//🇺🇸 //fil laɪk// | 🇬🇧 /["/wɪʃ/","/ˈwɪʃɪz/","/wɪʃt/","/ˈwɪʃɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/wɪʃ/","/ˈwɪʃɪz/","/wɪʃt/","/ˈwɪʃɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | to have a particular emotion or desire | A desire or hope for something to happen. |
| Example | I feel like going for a walk today. | I wish I could travel to Paris this summer. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A2 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | feel like going, feel like doing, feel like eating, feel like talking, feel like relaxing | dearly, desperately, devoutly, for, dearly, desperately, devoutly, for |
| Antonyms | dislike, refuse, avoid | despair, regret, discontent |
| Common mistakes | Confusing with 'feel as if', Using with a full infinitive instead of gerund, Omitting 'like' in some phrases | Confused with 'want' — 'wish' indicates a stronger hope., Using 'wished' instead of 'wish' for future situations., Mixing up the past and present forms incorrectly. |
| Usage notes | Often used casually to express desires or mood. Less formal than 'wish to' or 'would like to'. | Used to express a desire for something that is unlikely or impossible. Common in informal contexts; less appropriate in very formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Feel like vs Wish
What's the difference between Feel like and Wish?
Feel like: to have a particular emotion or desire Wish: A desire or hope for something to happen.
Which is more common: Feel like and Wish?
Wish is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Feel like: I feel like going for a walk today. Wish: I wish I could travel to Paris this summer.
Can I use Feel like and Wish interchangeably?
Not always. Feel like and Wish are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.