Cool MateHe's pretty good at that vs Talented
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
He's pretty good at that
Top 2,000 (common)
Talented
Top 1,000 (very common)B1adjective
Most common: Talented
| He's pretty good at that | Talented | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //hiːz ˈprɪti ɡʊd æt ðæt//🇺🇸 //hiz ˈprɪti ɡʊd æt ðæt// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈtæləntɪd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈtæləntɪd/"]/ |
| Meaning | He is quite skilled at that. | Having a natural ability to do something well. |
| Example | He's pretty good at that painting technique. | a talented player/musician/artist |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | pretty good at something, really good at something, not so good at something | be, seem, extremely, fairly, very |
| Antonyms | - | untalented, incompetent, inept |
| Common mistakes | Using 'pretty' with negative phrases, e.g., 'not pretty good', Misplacing the adjective, saying 'good pretty at that', Replacing 'at' with 'in', which changes the meaning | Saying 'talent' instead of 'talented' when describing a person., Using 'talented' without mentioning the specific skill or ability., Confusing 'talented' with 'talentless'. |
| Usage notes | Used in informal contexts to compliment someone's ability. Avoid in very formal writing. | Use 'talented' to describe someone who is skilled at something. It is appropriate in both casual and professional contexts. Avoid using it to describe someone's personal qualities unrelated to skills. |
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Frequently asked questions: He's pretty good at that vs Talented
What's the difference between He's pretty good at that and Talented?
He's pretty good at that: He is quite skilled at that. Talented: Having a natural ability to do something well.
Which is more common: He's pretty good at that and Talented?
Talented is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
He's pretty good at that: He's pretty good at that painting technique. Talented: a talented player/musician/artist
Can I use He's pretty good at that and Talented interchangeably?
Not always. He's pretty good at that and Talented 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.