Abstract: A system for determining an emotional state of a subject includes a speech sensor for sensing a subject's speech, a receiving means arranged in communication with the speech sensor for receiving the sensed speech, a converting means for converting the sensed speech into text, a classifying means for classifying the text and speech characteristics of the subject's speech according to a predetermined set of human emotions, and an analysing means for analysing the classified text and speech characteristics so as to determine an emotional state of the subject. The classifying means is configured to compare sensed speech characteristics to characteristic references for allowing a user to determine a change in speech characteristics of the subject's speech relative the characteristic references during a conversation with the subject.