Experience is your strong suit vs Strength
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Experience is your strong suit
Top 2,000 (common)
Strength
Top 1,000 (very common)B1noun
Most common: Strength
| Experience is your strong suit | Strength | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ɪkˈspɪəriəns ɪz jɔː strɒŋ sjuːt//🇺🇸 //ɪkˈspɪr.i.əns ɪz jʊr strɔŋ sut// | 🇬🇧 /["/streŋkθ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/streŋkθ/"]/ |
| Meaning | Something you are very good at. | The ability to be strong or powerful. |
| Example | In this job, you can excel because experience is your strong suit. | Her strength helped her lift the heavy box with ease. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | noun | |
| Collocations | play to your strong suit, identify your strong suit, leverage your strong suit | considerable, enormous, great, have, possess, lack, grow, increase, decline, up to strength, below strength, under strength, at full strength, back to full strength, every ounce of strength, considerable, enormous, great, have, possess, lack, grow, increase, decline, up to strength, below strength, under strength, at full strength, back to full strength, every ounce of strength, considerable, enormous, great, have, possess, lack, grow, increase, decline, up to strength, below strength, under strength, at full strength, back to full strength, every ounce of strength, considerable, enormous, great, have, possess, lack, grow, increase, decline, up to strength, below strength, under strength, at full strength, back to full strength, every ounce of strength, considerable, enormous, great, have, possess, lack, grow, increase, decline, up to strength, below strength, under strength, at full strength, back to full strength, every ounce of strength, great, real, individual, capitalize on, exploit, play to, come from something, lie in something, strengths and weaknesses, considerable, enormous, great, have, possess, lack, grow, increase, decline, up to strength, below strength, under strength, at full strength, back to full strength, every ounce of strength |
| Antonyms | - | weakness, frailty |
| Common mistakes | Forgetting to use 'is' before 'your strong suit'., Misunderstanding 'strong suit' as a negative phrase., Confusing 'strong suit' with 'weakness' instead. | Confused with 'strong', which is an adjective., Using 'strengths' when referring to good qualities or skills, but should specify context., May forget to use in plural form where applicable (e.g., 'strengths' for multiple qualities). |
| Usage notes | Used to highlight someone's skills or strengths. Appropriate in both professional and casual contexts. | Used when talking about physical power, mental resilience, or overall capacity. In formal contexts, it might refer to both human and material strength. Avoid using in very casual conversations where simpler words like 'power' may suffice. |
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Frequently asked questions: Experience is your strong suit vs Strength
What's the difference between Experience is your strong suit and Strength?
Experience is your strong suit: Something you are very good at. Strength: The ability to be strong or powerful.
Which is more common: Experience is your strong suit and Strength?
Strength is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Experience is your strong suit: In this job, you can excel because experience is your strong suit. Strength: Her strength helped her lift the heavy box with ease.
Can I use Experience is your strong suit and Strength interchangeably?
Not always. Experience is your strong suit and Strength are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.