Capability vs. Ability – What's the Difference? - Writing Explained

Capability usually refers to either/or scenarios, while ability is usually a question of degree. Capability vs. Ability Check: Since capability and potential ... Skiptocontent Menu Home»Capabilityvs.Ability–What’stheDifference? Youmightnotenjoyitverymuch,butitisprobablypossibleforyoutostayupallnightshouldyouhavealotofworktodoandadeadlineisapproaching. Isthisanability,oracapability? Thesewordsaresosimilarthatanargumentcouldbemadeforeither.Inthisparticularexample,mostwriterswouldagreethatcapabilityisabetterfit.I’llshowyouwhy. WhatistheDifferenceBetweenCapabilityandAbility? Inthisarticle,Iwillcompareabilityvs.capability.Iwilluseeachofthesewordsinatleastoneexamplesentence,soyoucanseehowtheyappearintheirpropercontexts. Iwillalsoshowyouamnemonicdevicethatmakeschoosingabilityorcapabilityalittleeasier. WhentoUseAbility Whatdoesabilitymean?Abilityisanoun.Itreferstopossessionofthemeansorskilltodosomething. Someonewithsuperiorathleticabilitiesisverygoodatsportsorotherphysicalgames.Awriterofgreatabilityisconsideredtobeanexcellentwriter.Inbothcases,abilityisusedtorefertothequalitativenatureoftheperson. Hereareafewmoreexamples, Myabilitytomowthelawnisdependentonmyaccesstomyneighbor’slawnmower. Researchshowsthat,onaverage,menarelikelytohavestrongerspatialreasoningabilitiesthanwomen,althoughpsychologistsdisagreeonthecauseanddegreeofthisdifference. SnapInc.,initsfirstquarterlyreportasapubliccompany,showeditstruggledtomaintainstrongusergrowthatitsSnapchatvanishing-messagingapp,sendingsharestumblingandsparkingworriesaboutitsabilitytochallengesocial-mediatitanFacebookInc.–TheWallStreetJournal AsImentionedabove,abilityisconsideredaqualitativemarker,notaquantitativemarker.Toagaintakeouraboveexample,ifsomeonewereawriterofgreatability,thiswouldmeanthatheorshecouldwritewell.Itmakesnocommentontheamounttowhichheorshecanwrite,onlytothequalityofthewriting. Thisisimportanttonote:abilityisaqualitativemarker. WhentoUseCapability Whatdoescapabilitymean?Capabilityisalsoanoun,anditalsoreferstotheabilitytodosomething.Thedifferencebetweencapabilityandabilityisusuallyoneofpragmatics. Capabilityusuallyreferstoeither/orpropositionsinapotentialscenario:acorruptregimemayhavenuclearcapabilities.Itcaneitherlaunchnuclearmissiles,oritcannot.Afighterjetmayalsohavestealthcapability.Iteitherhasthiscapability,oritdoesnot.Inthissense,capabilityisaquantitativemarker. Forexample, Ourlong-rangemissilenetworkgivesusfirststrikecapabilityaroundtheworld. Peoplewhoaretelekinetichavethecapabilitytokillyouwiththeirminds. Computerresearchersreportedartificial-intelligenceadvancesonThursdaythatsurpassedhumancapabilitiesforanarrowsetofvision-relatedtasks.–TheNewYorkTimes Ability,meanwhile,usuallyreferstoskills,whichcanhavedegrees.YourabilitytolearnnewlanguagesmightbestrongerthanminebecauseIhavenotfullydevelopedthisskill. Capability,ontheotherhand,usuallyreferstoeither/orscenarios.Mycareitherhasthecapabilitytogo200milesperhourornot.Thereisnodegreeorcontinuuminvolved.Eitherithasthatcapability,oritdoesnot. Anothersimilarword,capacity,usuallyreferstoaninnatepotentialforsomething.Humansarebornwiththecapacitytounderstandandusesociallanguage,forinstance.Whilesomeofusmaydevelopthisskilltoahigherdegreethanothers,allofusarebornwiththecapacityforit. Capabilityandcapacityaremuchmorerelatedthancapabilityandability. TricktoRemembertheDifference Thesewordsaresimilarenoughthatacasualreadermightaccepteitheroftheminmostcontexts.Indeed,insportsjournalism,militarystrategy,andothersituations,manywritershavestandardizedononeortheotherevenwhenitscounterpartwouldtechnicallybemoreappropriate. Still,therearecertainconstraintsthatmakerememberingwhentouseeachalittleeasier. Capabilityusuallyreferstoeither/orscenarios,whileabilityisusuallyaquestionofdegree. Capabilityvs.AbilityCheck:SincecapabilityandpotentialeachcontaintheletterP,itshouldbeeasytorememberthatcapabilityusuallyreferstothepotentialtodosomethinginayesornocontext. Summary Isitcapabilityorability?Bothwordsrefertohavingthepowertodosomething. Ingeneral,abilitiescanvaryalongacontinuum;onepersonmaybebetteratfreethrowsthanotherperson,forexample. Capabilityisusuallyaneither/orproposition;acountrycaneitherlaunchnukesoritcan’t. Contents1WhatistheDifferenceBetweenCapabilityandAbility?2WhentoUseAbility3WhentoUseCapability4TricktoRemembertheDifference5Summary Searchfor: ConfusingWords AversusAn AlotversusAlot AccentversusAscentversusAssent AcceptversusExcept AccessversusExcess AccidentlyversusAccidentally AcclimationversusAcclamation AcknowledgementversusAcknowledgment AcumenversusAcuityversusAcuteness AcuteversusChronic AdversusAdd AdapterversusAdaptor AddendaversusAddendum AddictingversusAddictive AdsorbversusAbsorb AdviceversusAdvise AdviserversusAdvisor AerobicversusAnaerobic AffectversusEffect AffectChangeversusEffectChange AffectiveversusEffective AfflictversusInflict AfterwardversusAfterwards AgeingversusAging AholdversusAhold AeroplaneversusAirplane AisleversusIsle AkaversusA.k.a. AllofaSuddenversusAlloftheSudden AllowedversusAloud AlludeversusElude AloudversusOutLoud AlterversusAltar AltogetherversusAllTogether AluminumversusAluminium AlrightversusAllRight AlwaysversusAllways AmbianceversusAmbience AmendversusEmend AmongversusAmongst AnalogversusAnalogue AnalyseversusAnalyze AnalysisversusAnalyses AnimeversusManga AnxiousversusEager AnyoneversusAnyone AnyplaceversusAnyPlace AnytimeversusAnyTime AnywayversusAnyway AnywayversusAnyways ApartversusApart AssentversusConsent AttorneyversusLawyer AttainversusObtain AuralversusOral AutumnversusFall AvengeversusRevenge AverseversusAdverse AvocationversusVocation AwaitingversusWaiting AwardversusReward AwhileversusAWhile AwwversusAwe BackupversusBackup BackwardversusBackwards BackyardversusBackYard BadversusBadly BadrapversusBadrep BarbecueversusBarbeque BassversusBase BearingversusBaring BecauseversusSince BedpostversusBedPost BehaviorversusBehaviour BelievesversusBeliefs BelowversusBellows BentversusBended BesideversusBesides BetweenversusAmong BiannualversusSemiannual Bi-weeklyversusSemi-weekly BindedversusBound BingeingversusBinging BitversusBitten BlatantversusFlagrant BlimpversusZeppelin BlondversusBlonde BourgeoisversusBourgeoisie BreachversusBreech BreakversusBrake BriefversusDebrief BrickandMortarversusBrickandMorter BringversusTake BroachversusBrooch BrothversusStock BrungversusBrought BuckNakedversusButtNaked BuildupversusBuildup BunnyversusRabbit BurstversusBursted BusesversusBusses BuyversusByeversusBy ByAccidentversusOnAccident CactusesversusCacti CaddieversusCaddy CalvaryversusCavalry CamaraderieversusComradery CanversusMay CanceledversusCancelled Canonvs.Cannon CapabilityversusAbility CapitalversusCapitol CappuccinoversusLatte CardinalNumbersversusOrdinalNumbers CaseinPointversusCaseandPoint CastversusCasted CatalogversusCatalogue CenterversusCentre CertificateversusDiplomaversusDegree CharleyHorseversusCharlieHorse CheckinversusCheck-in CheckoutversusCheckout CheckupversusCheckup ChildcareversusChildCare ChoirversusChorus Choosevs.Chose CiteversusSiteversusSight CleanupversusCleanup ClientversusCustomer ClimaticversusClimactic ClothversusClothes Co-operateversusCooperate Co-WorkerversusCoworker CocaversusCocoa CocoaversusCacao ColdversusFlu ColeslawversusColdslaw ColiseumversusColosseum CollaborateversusCorroborate CollectableversusCollectible CollegeversusUniversity CompetenceversusCompetency ComplimentversusComplement CompriseversusCompose ConscienceversusConscious ConsignorversusConsignee ContagiousversusInfectious ContiguousversusContinuous ContinuallyversusContinuously ConvinceversusPersuade CopywrittenversusCopyrighted CordversusChord CornFlourversusCornMeal CorrespondenceversusCorrespondance CouldHaveversusCouldOf CouldversusWould CounsellingversusCounseling CounselorversusCouncilor CozyversusCosy CrayfishversusCrawfish CreekversusCrick CriticiseversusCriticize CurrentversusCurrant CurriculaversusCurriculum DairyversusDiary DamversusDamn DeceasedversusDiseased DefendantversusPlaintiff DepositoryversusRepository DeviceversusDevise DialogversusDialogue DiceversusDie DifferentFromversusDifferentThan DinerversusDinner DiscversusDisk DiscreetversusDiscrete DisinterestedversusUninterested DisorganizedversusUnorganized DisperseversusDisburse DissatisfiedversusUnsatisfied DNAversusRNS DoversusDue DoughnutversusDonut DrankversusDrunk DraughtversusDraft DreamedversusDreamt DrierversusDryer DropoffversusDrop-off DuplicateversusReplicate DwarfsversusDwarves DyingversusDieing EatableversusEdible EffectiveversusEfficient EfficacyversusEfficiency EfficiencyversusEffectiveness EitherversusNeither ElderversusOlder ElegyversusEulogy ElfsversusElves ElicitversusIllicit E-mailversusEmail EmbedversusImbed EmigrateversusImmigrate EminentversusImminent EmojiversusEmoticon EmpathyversusSympathy EmphasiseversusEmphasize EnrouteversusInroute EncaseversusIncase EnclosedversusInclosed EndeavorsversusEndeavours EndemicversusEpidemic EndorsementversusIndorsement EngrainedversusIngrained EnrolmentversusEnrollment EnsureversusInsureversusAssure EntitledversusTitled EnvelopversusEnvelope EnvisionversusInvision EqualversusEquitable EthicsversusMorals EverydayvsEveryDay EveryoneorEveryOne EvokeversusInvoke ExcretionversusSecretion ExpiryversusExpiration ExpressoversusEspresso ExtortionversusBlackmail FairversusFare FavoriteversusFavourite FeedversusFed FewerversusLess FiancéversusFiancée FiberversusFibre FilletversusFilet FirsthandversusFirst-hand FitversusFitted FlairversusFlare FlammableversusInflammable FleshoutversusFlushout FlierversusFlyer FounderversusFlounder FlutistversusFlautist FlysversusFlies FollowupversusFollow-up Follow-upversusFollowup FoolproofversusFullproof ForgoversusForego FormerversusLatter FormulasversusFormulae ForthversusFourth FoulversusFowl FulfilversusFulfill FurtherversusFarther GlamorversusGlamour GotversusGotten GrillversusGrille GrossversusNet GuaranteeversusGuaranty GluingversusGlueing GreyversusGray HaleversusHail Half-MastversusHalf-Staff Hands-onversusHandson HangedversusHung HangerversusHangar HarborversusHarbour HareversusRabbit HealthcareversusHealthCare HeardversusHerd HeartyversusHardy HeelversusHeal HeightversusHeighth HereversusHear HersversusHer’s HeydayversusHayday HillbillyversusRedneck HimselfversusHimself HimselfversusHisself HistoricversusHistorical HoardversusHorde HolisticversusWholistic HomogenousversusHomogeneous HoofsversusHooves HoppingversusHoping HumorversusHumour HurrayversusHooray HypoversusHyper IgnorantversusStupid InRegardToversusInRegardsTo IllegalversusIllicit IllegibleversusUnreadable IllusionversusDelusion ImaginativeversusImaginary ImmanentversusImminent ImplicitversusExplicit ImplyversusInfer ImpostorversusImposter InProcessversusInProgress InalienableversusUnalienable IncaseversusInCase IncidentversusIncidence IndexesversusIndices InduceversusDeduce InquiryversusEnquiry InstillversusInstil InstillationversusInstallation InterversusIntra IntoversusInto InvaluableversusValuable ItsversusIt’s JailversusGaol JealousyversusEnvy JewelryversusJewellery JibeversusJive JudgmentversusJudgement Jury-riggedversusJerry-rigged KickoffversusKickOff KnightversusNight KnittedversusKnit LadderversusLatter LaidoutversusLayedout LasagnaversusLasagne LatitudeversusLongitude LayoutversusLayout LeadversusLede LeantversusLeaned LeeryversusLeary LedversusLead LeftoverversusLeftover LensversusLense LentversusLended LesseeversusLessor LieversusLye LifesversusLives LifetimeversusLifetime LikableversusLikeable LinchpinversusLynchpin LiterallyversusFiguratively LoatheversusLoath LoginversusLogon LoseversusLooseversusLoosen LovableversusLoveable MakeDoversusMakeDue MakeupversusMakeup MaterialversusMateriel MacroversusMicro MasterversusMister MathversusMaths MayversusMight MDversusDO MeversusMine MeversusMyself MetalversusMedal MinisculeversusMinuscule MischievousversusMischievious MissversusMrs. MistrustversusDistrust ModelingversusModelling MomversusMum MoniesversusMoneys MonologueversusSoliloquy MovableversusMoveable Ms.versusMrs MuteversusMoot NaughtversusNought NeigborsversusNeighbors Nerve-RackingversusNerve-Wracking NevermindversusNeverMind NinetyversusNinty NoLaterThanversusNoLaterThen NotSurprisinglyversusNotSurprising ObligedversusObligated OffenceversusOffense OftentimesversusOftentimes Old-FashionedversusOld-Fashioned OmeletversusOmelette OnboardversusOnBoard OneselfversusOne’sSelf OnlineversusOn-Line OntoversusOnto OrdnanceversusOrdinance OrganizationversusOrganisation OrientedversusOrientated OrthopedicversusOrthopaedic OvernightversusOverNight OverTimeversusOvertime PajamasversusPyjamas PassedversusPast PassersbyversusPasserbys PatienceversusPatients PayedversusPaid PeakversusPeekversusPique PealversusPeel PersonalversusPersonnel PhenomenonversusPhenomena PieceofMindversusPeaceofMind PickupversusPickUp PlainversusPlane PlowversusPlough PolygamyversusPolygyny PortversusStarboard PotatoesversusPotatos PrayversusPrey PrecedeversusProceed PrecedenceversusPrecedent PremierversusPremiere PresumeversusAssume PretenseversusPretence PreventiveversusPreventative PriorversusPrevious PrincipalversusPrinciple ProneversusSupine ProofversusProve ProtagonistversusAntagonist ProvedversusProven PsychologyversusPsychiatry PsychopathversusSociopath PurposefullyversusPurposely RaceversusEthnicity RationalversusRationale ReadversusRead RecogniseversusRecognize RegimenversusRegiment RemunerationversusRenumeration RenounceversusDenounce RepressionversusSuppression ResilienceversusResiliency RiteversusRight RoadversusRode RoleCallversusRollCall RollOutversusRollout RoofsversusRooves SaviourversusSavior ScaredversusScarred ScissorversusScissors SeamversusSeem SegwayversusSegue SensuousversusSensual SetupversusSetup ShelfversusShelve Shoo-inversusShoe-in ShudderversusShutter SightseeingversusSiteSeeing SignupversusSign-up SizableversusSizeable SkeletonversusLuge SkillsetversusSkillSet SmartphoneversusSmartphone SmoothversusSmoothe SneakedversusSnuck SomeoneversusSomebody SomethingversusSomeThing SometimesversusSomeTimes SoreversusSoar SpatterversusSplatter SpecialtyversusSpeciality SpectreversusSpecter SpellingofPillow SpeltversusSpelled SpoiledversusSpoilt SpreadversusSpreaded StayedversusStaid StandaloneversusStandalone StankversusStunk StateoftheArtversusState-of-the-Art StationaryversusStationery SteerClearversusStearClear StentversusStint SummeryversusSummary SupersedeversusSupercede SupposeversusSupposed StroveversusStrived SupperversusDinner SupposedlyversusSupposably SweepedversusSwept SystemicversusSystematic TalktoversusTalkwith TeeshirtversusT-Shirt TenantsversusTenets TheatreversusTheater ThemselvesversusTheirselves ThenversusThan ThereversusTheirversusThey’re ThereforversusTherefore TheyversusThem ThrewversusThrough ThruversusThrough TomatosversusTomatoes ToversusTooversusTwo ToLongversusTooLong TooHardversusToHard TooMuchversusToMuch TooMuchtoBearversusTooMuchtoBare TouchBaseversusTouchBases TireversusTyre ToughversusTuff TrainerversusTrainor TravellingversusTraveling TrawlingversusTrolling TruelyversusTruly TrustversusMistrust UnderwayversusUnderway UntilversusTill UptoDateversusUp-to-Date UpmostversusUtmost ValentinesDayversusValentine’sDay VenomousversusPoisonous VoicemailversusVoicemail WackversusWhack WaiveversusWaver WareversusWear WasversusWere WeversusUs WebpageversusWebsite WebsiteversusWebSite WellbeingversusWell-being WhereversusWereversusWear WhetherversusWeather WhichversusThat WhileversusWhilst WhineyversusWhiny WhoversusWhom WidowversusWidower WillversusWould WithRegardtoversusWithRegardsto WoeisMeversusWhoisMe WorkoutversusWorkout WorkinProgressversusWorkinProcess WorseversusWorst YayversusNay YourversusYou’re YouthversusYouths BailversusBale BreakdownversusBreakDown BorneversusBorn PhotoshootversusPhotoShoot ArmorversusArmour CannotversusCannot RunAmokversusRunAmuck ObjectiveversusSubjective LetsversusLet’s NewversusKnew RootversusRoute SankversusSunk SeparateversusSeperate SerigraphversusLithograph SulfurversusSulphur StoryversusStorey MucusversusMucous NowadaysversusNowaDays CalfsversusCalves TowardversusTowards IsversusAre UsedtoversusUseto QuiteversusQuiet MantelversusMantle LicenceversusLicense LeaptversusLeaped LearnedversusLearnt HonorversusHonour ForewordversusForward TideversusTied LierversusLiar CouncilversusCounsel ClipversusMagazine CarmelversusCaramel PrognosisversusDiagnosis BenefitedversusBenefitted MoldversusMould FazeversusPhase SuitversusSuite DefuseversusDiffuse AmoralversusImmoral HomeinversusHonein AlreadyversusAllready ComparetoversusComparewith ProscribeversusPrescribe RimeversusRhyme MaybeversusMayBe MoralversusMorale SoleversusSoul StealversusSteel StalactiteversusStalagmite LiteversusLight LoanversusLend LiquorversusLiqueur Not-for-profitversusNonprofit MoslemversusMuslim CourseversusCoarse BaptisedversusBaptized PracticeversusPractise AreversusOur MuchversusMany GasesversusGasses ArtefactversusArtifact GrammarversusGrammer NobodyversusNoOne ReelversusReal SmokeyversusSmoky LabeledversusLabelled TotaledversusTotalled LathversusLathe FishversusFishes StraitversusStraight ScarfsversusScarves ComaversusComma YogurtversusYoghurt YokeversusYolk WasteversusWaist PercentversusPercent OctopusesversusOctopi SherbetversusSherbert CueversusQueue MaizeversusMaze VainversusVein RecurversusReoccur EmpathicversusEmpathetic InSpiteversusDespite LaborversusLabour ShinedversusShone SpilledversusSpilt YeaversusYeah TonversusTonne TilversusTill AloneversusLonely PresentsversusPresence SomedayversusSomeDay DependentversusDependant WearyversusWary ColorversusColour VerbageversusVerbiage RecklessversusWreckless RegimeversusRegimen WonderversusWander PersonversusPeople MustacheversusMoustache RoleversusRoll PersonsversusPeople ConcaveversusConvex AllusionversusIllusion PleadedversusPled ProspectiveversusPerspective ProgramversusProgramme LightedversusLit RacketversusRacquet DraggedversusDrug AxversusAxe GistversusJist DualversusDuel DivedversusDove FavorversusFavour FortyversusFourty SangversusSung LoginversusLogin InequityversusInequality NooneversusNoone TranslucentversusTransparent SubconsciousversusUnconscious ApologiseversusApologize BurntversusBurned ChequeversusCheck FreereinversusFreereign BeganversusBegun YearOldversusYear-Old PasstimeversusPastime IsIsaVerb? AngelversusAngle BearwithmeversusBarewithme Deep-SeatedversusDeep-Seeded CriteriaversusCriterion GreatfulversusGrateful BreathversusBreathe NauseousversusNauseated SlanderversusLibel BearversusBare LossversusLost LightningversusLightening OpossumversusPossum DefenceversusDefense BroughtversusBought AidversusAide HasversusHave HowtoQuoteaQuote FreshmanversusFreshmen SeenversusSaw SmelledorSmelt SometimeversusSomeTime IversusMe EverythingversusEverything WhoseversusWho’s FunnerversusMoreFun AnymoreversusAnymore WhoaversusWoah CatsupversusKetchup Y’allversusYa’ll GageversusGauge WhiskyversusWhiskey HowYouCanTeachEnglishinChina ZeeversusZed ZombiversusZombie WritingTopics ConfusingWords StartingaBlog MLAWritingStyle APAWritingStyle GrammarTerms CommonEnglishAbbreviations IdiomsandPhrases EnglishSpellingDictionary RecentPosts BearWithMeorBareWithMe Implyvs.Infer:What’stheDifference? WellbeingorWell-Being–WhichisCorrect? Beganvs.Begun:What’stheDifference? 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