How I Explained Vector Embeddings to My Mom (And She Got It)

Mom: “Beta, what is this ‘vector embedding’ you keep talking about?”
Me: “It’s not as scary as it sounds, Mom. Let me explain.”

We’re in the kitchen, chai is boiling, and I decide this is the perfect time to make it easy for her to understand.

Turning Ideas Into Numbers

Think about how you’d describe someone you know.
If I had to describe you, Mom:

• Sweetness level: 9 out of 10

• Cooking skill: 10 out of 10

• Ability to find things I’ve lost: 11 out of 10

I could do the same for everyone in our family.
Once I’ve written down everyone’s “scores,” I can compare them. If two people have similar scores, they’re probably similar in personality.

Mom: “Oh, like my recipe book? Different dishes, but I can group the ones with the same spices.”
Me: “Exactly, Mom.”

Computers Do the Same Thing

Before I scare you with the term “vector embedding,” let’s start simple:
It’s just a list of numbers that represents the meaning of something like a word, sentence, picture, or even a song.
These numbers are like the “scores” in our family example, except instead of sweetness or cooking skill, a computer’s traits might be:

• How romantic it feels (like a Bollywood love song)

• How technical it feels (like the washing machine manual)

• How much it’s about cricket

And when you want to sound smart at a party, you can call these lists of numbers vector embeddings.

Why Bother?

Because once things are turned into numbers, computers can:

• Find similar things - “puppy” is close to “dog”

• Spot differences - “banana” is far from “spaceship”

• Make smart recommendations - like suggesting a Shah Rukh Khan movie after you watch one

A Simple Example

You search for “a story about a dog”.
Even if the text says “a tale about a puppy”, the computer still finds it because their embeddings are close in meaning, even if the words are different.

Mom: “Ohhh, so the computer isn’t just matching the exact words, it’s matching the idea?”
Me: “Exactly, Mom. You’ve cracked it.”

Wrapping It Up

So Mom, the next time you hear me say “embedding,” you’ll know I’m just giving the computer a recipe for understanding meaning.
And unlike my cooking, this recipe actually works every time.