By 
It’s not easy to figure out what a girl means when she calls you special.
Is it a compliment?
Or is it a way to put you down, like she is out of your league?
I’ve thought about this long and hard because I’ve been called special before, and today I want to explain why I think it’s a good thing.
Here are 12 things she might be implying by calling you special:
1) She thinks you’re different from other guys she has met
Special literally means unique or distinctive.
She might call you special because she believes you’re different from other guys she has met.
There could be many reasons she thinks you’re unique.
Perhaps you don’t subscribe to the same “bro” culture that every other guy subscribes to.
You might be a little more mature than the rest in her eyes.
Maybe you’re a gentleman who treats other people with respect and dignity. We all know chivalry is dead.
Maybe you’re not caught up in the superficial elements of being popular all the time.
It’s a cruel world out there, so maybe she thinks you’re special because you simply have your heart in the right place.
You might be so different from other guys that she has no idea what to do with you…which could make you even more attractive to her.
Whatever it is that makes you unique, if she’s calling you special because you’re unique then this is definitely a compliment!
After all:
Research in relationship psychology suggests that people tend to look for something unique and different to satisfy them in longer-term relationships. Novelty and distinctiveness become increasingly appealing over time as people seek partners who stand out from the crowd.
So if she’s giving you compliments like calling you special, then she may find you uniquely appealing for a relationship.
2) She has a crush on you
Yep, I’m sure you were hoping for this one.
This is actually one of the more obvious meanings for her calling you special.
In fact, every girl that has called me “special” in my past ended up being attracted to me.
The truth is:
She might have had a crush on you for a long time and it’s only just now that she has the courage to let you know how unique you are.
Women won’t usually call you “special” unless they know your personality well.
But if she’s taken her time to compliment you, she may have given you a particular position in her heart.
What other signs indicate she has a crush on you?
You can be sure that she has a crush on you if she remembers the minor details of your life, always has time for you and consistently looks at you from across the room.
3) You remind her of someone she considers special
She may call you special because you may remind her of someone she loves or used to love.
This might be an uncanny resemblance you have with someone who meant a great deal to her in the past.
This may also be the reason she has developed a crush on you.
After all, if you have the same qualities as an important person in her life, that can only be a positive thing.
Don’t get creeped out, but research in psychology suggests that people in heterosexual relationships may seek partners who share attributes that remind them of their opposite-sex parent.
Why?
Because that is what they’ve always known growing up.
So if you remind her of her Dad, that is probably why she likes you and thinks you’re special.
4) She considers you to be her brother
I’m sure you were hoping she was attracted to you, but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
However, considering you as her brother is a compliment.
After all:
It means she feels safe around you. It also means that you probably share a unique bond.
Now if you were hoping that she is attracted to you, then you might not be there yet.
But at least she considers you someone she is close to and can rely on.
That’s a good sign, and it could lead to something more in the future.
5) She looks at you as a close friend she trusts a lot
Again, while this indicates she is not physically attracted to you, it does mean you’re a close friend in her circle of trust.
She may even see you as a best friend with whom she can share her deepest and darkest secrets.
Gaining a girl’s trust is nothing to scoff at, and the fact that she is willing to be vulnerable with you means that you’re someone she feels like will have her back no matter what happens.
It’s important not to confuse her friendship and trust for attraction; it’s entirely possible for her to see you as a trusted confidante but not like you in that way.
She may develop deeper feelings for you in the future, but you must never break her trust.
Having that level of trust can help the two of you nurture a special bond that nobody else can break.
6) You’re her soulmate
This is a pretty straightforward reason for her to call you someone special.
Even if you don’t believe in soulmates, she might.
She considers you special because, in her mind, she sees you as her soulmate.
Soulmates don’t come around often!
You may have ticked all the boxes she is looking for in a partner and already started falling for you.
She may not admit those feelings for you just yet, because she wants to see if you feel the same way about her.
Usually, the man makes the first move, so calling you special could be her way of pushing you to make the first move.
7) She likes you but isn’t ready to embrace her feelings for you yet
You may be special to her because she’s still confused about how she feels about you.
She may like you but may not yet be willing to embrace her feelings for you.
She might be leading you on because she’s just not sure whether she wants a relationship with you.
The mood and environment may have even made you know that you’re special to her.
And honestly, it just might not be a good time for her to enter into a relationship.
Maybe she just got out of a relationship.
Or she has had bad experiences in the past where she got hurt.
If this is the case, you need to be patient with her while she figures out how much you mean to her without making her feel pressured.
She may not be able to admit it now but will cherish you even more if you give her the time and space she needs.
It might also help to let her know how you feel about her. She won’t have to worry about her feelings not being reciprocated.
8) She wants you to ask her out
She might call you special because she wants you to ask her out.
She might feel it’s the guy’s responsibility to ask a girl out and may be waiting for you to do so.
Letting you know that you’re special to her might be her way of clueing you into her feelings for you.
It might also be her way of seeing if you will reciprocate her feelings.
Let’s be honest:
Most women are scared about asking out a guy first. She doesn’t want to get rejected and usually it’s up to the man to make the first move.
The solution?
Ask her out! Let her know that you’re interested in her and that she’s special to you.
9) She wants something more than just friends
A girl might call you special when she wants to take things to the next level in the relationship.
She may want something more than just friendship, and calling you special is her way of testing the waters to see how you respond.
If you’ve been friends for a while and she suddenly starts using words like “special” to describe you, it could be a sign that her feelings have evolved beyond platonic territory.
Pay attention to the context in which she says it. If it comes during an intimate or emotionally charged conversation, there’s a good chance she’s hinting at deeper feelings.
10) She genuinely admires your character
Sometimes “special” simply means she admires who you are as a person.
She might be impressed by your values, your kindness, or the way you carry yourself.
This doesn’t necessarily mean she’s romantically interested — it could just mean she respects you deeply and wants you to know it.
People who feel genuinely admired tend to build stronger connections, so take this as a positive sign regardless of the romantic context.
11) She’s trying to let you down gently
Unfortunately, not every use of the word “special” is a green light.
Sometimes a girl might call you special as a way of softening a rejection. It’s her way of saying she values you but doesn’t see a romantic future.
If the word “special” comes paired with phrases like “you’ll find someone amazing” or “any girl would be lucky to have you,” it might be a kind way of friendzoning you.
Don’t take it personally. The fact that she cares enough to let you down gently shows that she does value you as a person.
12) She’s expressing gratitude for your presence in her life
Finally, she might call you special simply because she’s grateful to have you in her life.
You might have been there for her during a tough time, or you consistently show up for her in ways that other people don’t.
Psychology research suggests that expressing gratitude strengthens social bonds and deepens emotional connections. When she calls you special, she might simply be acknowledging the positive impact you’ve had on her life.
Whether it’s romantic or platonic, being called special is a sign that you matter to someone — and that’s always worth appreciating.