The ātman is the real 'I' or the true self. The sense of self we have in our conditioned or embodied state (when we are covered by the mind and physical body), is due to the ahaṃkāra. The word ahaṃkāra, which is often loosely translated as 'ego', is comprised of two words, ahaṃ (I or 'I-ness') and kāra (cause). So it is the ahaṃkāra which causes our sense of 'I-ness', and because this sense of 'I-ness' is inextricably mixed up with the mind and body, and we are identify with that ahaṃkāra, we mistakenly take the mind and body to be who we are. The ahaṃkāra is one of the 19 aspects of the subtle body, and like every aspect of the subtle body, it is non-self.
While the word ātman might sometimes be translated as 'soul', this is not such a good translation. In Vedanta, the equivalent of soul (in the sense of psyche) would be the sūkṣmaśarīra or subtle body, because the psyche, or mind, is also one of the aspects of the subtle body. From my understanding of how Christianity differentiates between spirit and soul, I think it would be better to translate the word ātman as 'spirit’, but even this is not ideal. The best translation of ātman is 'Self' (the true Self that is, not the illusory self of the ahaṃkāra).
Here's a video which explains how both the mind and the ahaṃkāra are aspects of the subtle body, and how the subtle body is different from the ātman:
The Subtle Body: What is it? How is it Different From the Self? And Does it Die?
• Video
Also this video:
5 Pointers To Help You Understand That You Are Not The Body Or The Mind
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Негізгі бет Body, Mind, Self & Why the Word 'Soul' is Ambiguous (See the description box)
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