When we use the word 'legumes', we are talking about the entire plant, which includes seeds, stems, leaves, and other components. When we talk about pulses, we're only talking about the edible seeds we can take from these legumes. In this manner, we can say that pulses are essentially part of legumes, and they help make up the whole of legumes. It is easy to confuse both legumes and pulses with one another, mostly so because they are pretty commonly used very interchangeably in daily conversations. However, keep in mind that pulses are a part of legumes, but legumes are not a whole part of pulses.