Ability vs Capability vs Competence
Cuándo usar cada una en inglés, con significado, registro y ejemplos.
Ability
Capability
Competence
| Ability | Capability | Competence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciación | 🇬🇧 /["/əˈbɪləti/"]/🇺🇸 /["/əˈbɪləti/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˌkeɪpəˈbɪləti/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˌkeɪpəˈbɪləti/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈkɒmpɪtəns/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈkɑːmpɪtəns/"]/ |
| Significado | The skill to do something. | The ability to do something. | the ability to do something well |
| Ejemplo | She has the ability to learn new languages quickly. | Her capability as a leader impressed everyone at the meeting. | Her competence in multiple languages impresses her colleagues. |
| Registro | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Qué tan común | Top 1000 (muy común) | Top 2000 (común) | Top 2000 (común) |
| Nivel CEFR | A2 | C1 | C1 |
| Categoría gramatical | noun | noun | noun |
| Colocaciones | exceptional, extraordinary, great, level, have, possess, retain, ability in, to the best of your ability, high, limited, low, assess, measure, test, level, range, a range of ability, a range of abilities | advanced, enhanced, limited, demonstrate, have, possess, beyond somebody’s capability, within somebody’s capability, capability for, advanced, enhanced, limited, demonstrate, have, possess, beyond somebody’s capability, within somebody’s capability, capability for | great, basic, academic, have, demonstrate, display, beyond somebody’s competence, within somebody’s competence, competence as, a level of competence, a standard of competence, formal, exclusive, have, outside somebody/something’s competence, within somebody/something’s competence, an area of competence |
| Antónimos | inability, ineptness | incapability, inability | incompetence, ineptitude |
| Errores comunes | Confused with 'capability' — 'ability' refers to a skill, while 'capability' refers to the potential to develop a skill., Using 'ability' without a verb or context can make sentences unclear., Incorrectly pluralizing as 'abilities' when referring to a single skill. | Confusing with 'capacity' which refers to volume or quantity., Using it as a verb instead of a noun., Misplacing the emphasis in pronunciation. | Confused with 'competency'; both refer to abilities but 'competence' is broader., Misused as a verb; 'competence' is always a noun., Spelling errors, especially with the second 'e'. |
| Notas de uso | Use 'ability' in contexts where referring to someone's skills or talents. Avoid it in very casual conversations where simpler words like 'skill' may be more appropriate. | Use 'capability' in professional or academic contexts to discuss skills or potential. It's not commonly used in casual conversations. | Use 'competence' in contexts such as job skills or educational achievements. Avoid in very casual conversations; prefer 'skill' or 'ability' instead. |
Preguntas frecuentes: Ability vs Capability vs Competence
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre Ability, Capability y Competence?
Ability: The skill to do something. Capability: The ability to do something. Competence: the ability to do something well
¿Cuál es más común: Ability, Capability y Competence?
Ability es la más común en el inglés cotidiano.
¿Ability, Capability y Competence tienen el mismo nivel CEFR?
Ability: A2, Capability: C1, Competence: C1 en la escala CEFR.
¿Qué categoría gramatical son Ability, Capability y Competence?
Ability: noun, Capability: noun, Competence: noun.
¿Puedes mostrar un ejemplo de cada una?
Ability: She has the ability to learn new languages quickly. Capability: Her capability as a leader impressed everyone at the meeting. Competence: Her competence in multiple languages impresses her colleagues.
¿Puedo usar Ability, Capability y Competence indistintamente?
No siempre. Ability, Capability y Competence están relacionadas y a veces se solapan, pero difieren en registro, frecuencia y uso, así que cambiar una por otra puede alterar el significado o el tono. Revisa las diferencias de arriba antes de sustituir.