<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Emotional granularity is closely associated with emotional regulation and well-being outcomes. However, it is rarely considered when developing digital mental health interventions, which may limit the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment in such interventions. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aims to explore the potential of emotion word ratings to inform the design of digital mental health interventions and clinicians’ interpretation of patients’ self-reports. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> 30 participants’ ratings of emotion words were analysed from previous studies of emotion granularity and categorisation. Each participant’s ratings were plotted into a circumplex of emotions. Patterns of divergence between individuals’ self-reported ratings and normative reference data were calculated to show the range of emotion perception. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> The analysis of ratings of emotion words demonstrated the potential of visualising individual emotion ratings to explore opportunities for tailoring content in digital interventions. Large variations were identified in people’s ratings of emotion words in both valence and arousal dimensions. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> This work raises the awareness of a gap in the current design of digital mental health interventions and highlights the importance of understanding individual differences in emotion perception and experience for more personalised guidance in these interventions. </sec> <sec> <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> This study has been registered at https://osf.io/2nc6d. </sec>