Able vs Competent vs Skilled

Cuándo usar cada una en inglés, con significado, registro y ejemplos.

Able

Top 1000 (muy común) A2 adjective

Competent

Top 2000 (común) C1 adjective

Skilled

Top 2000 (común) B2 adjective

Más común: Able

	Able	Competent	Skilled
Pronunciación	🇬🇧 /["/ˈeɪbl/","/ˈeɪblə(r)/","/ˈeɪblɪst/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈeɪbl/","/ˈeɪblər/","/ˈeɪblɪst/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈkɒmpɪtənt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈkɑːmpɪtənt/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/skɪld/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/skɪld/"]/
Significado	Tener la habilidad, poder u oportunidad para hacer algo. Having the skill, power, or opportunity to do something.	Capaz de hacer algo bien Able to do something well	Bueno haciendo algo por la práctica. Good at doing something because of practice
Ejemplo	She is able to speak three languages.	She is a competent lawyer who always wins her cases.	a skilled engineer/negotiator/craftsman
Registro	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
Qué tan común	Top 1000 (muy común)	Top 2000 (común)	Top 2000 (común)
Nivel CEFR	A2	C1	B2
Categoría gramatical	adjective	adjective	adjective
Colocaciones	be, feel, prove, fully, perfectly, quite, be, seem, extremely, fairly, very	be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, in, be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, in	be, become, extremely, fairly, very, at, in, with, skilled in the art (of something), be, become, extremely, fairly, very, at, in, with, skilled in the art (of something)
Antónimos	unable, incapable	incompetent, inept, unqualified	unskilled, inexperienced, inept
Errores comunes	Confused with 'capable' — they are similar but not interchangeable., Using 'able' without 'to' when following it with a verb., Incorrectly using 'able' with a past event.	'Competency' is confused with 'competence' despite the latter being more commonly used., Using 'competent' as a noun instead of an adjective., Confusing 'competent' with 'complacent', which means self-satisfied.	Using 'skilled' with 'to' instead of 'at' (e.g., 'skilled to play' instead of 'skilled at playing'), Confusing 'skilled' with 'skillful' — while similar, 'skillful' often refers to someone who is good at doing something in a practical context., Overusing 'skilled' when a more specific word (like 'talented' or 'expert') would be more fitting.
Notas de uso	Usa 'capaz' para expresar capacidad en un contexto neutral. Es apropiado tanto en inglés hablado como escrito, pero evita usarlo en situaciones demasiado formales. Use 'able' to express capability in a neutral context. It’s appropriate in both spoken and written English but avoid using it in overly formal situations.	Usa 'competente' para describir a alguien que puede realizar una tarea de manera efectiva. Es apropiado en contextos profesionales o académicos, pero puede sonar demasiado formal en conversaciones informales. Use 'competent' to describe someone who can perform a task effectively. It's appropriate in professional or academic contexts, but may sound too formal in casual conversations.	Usa 'experto' o 'hábil' para describir la habilidad de alguien en un área determinada, especialmente en un contexto profesional o artístico. Es apropiado tanto en entornos informales como formales. Use 'skilled' to describe someone's ability in a certain area, especially in a professional or artistic context. It's appropriate in both casual and formal settings.

Míralo en clips reales

I want to be able to say things, just one-to-one.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

I was able to hack S.H.I.E.L.D. from my van.

The Sopranos › S1 E1

that they wouldn't be able to shut him up.

I want to be able to say things, just one-to-one.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

I was able to hack S.H.I.E.L.D. from my van.

Able

...from even the most skilled extractor.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Worthy of the skill of our woodland kin.

...from even the most skilled extractor.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Worthy of the skill of our woodland kin.

Skilled

Preguntas frecuentes: Able vs Competent vs Skilled

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre Able, Competent y Skilled?

Able: Having the skill, power, or opportunity to do something. Competent: Able to do something well Skilled: Good at doing something because of practice

¿Cuál es más común: Able, Competent y Skilled?

Able es la más común en el inglés cotidiano.

¿Cuál es más avanzada: Able, Competent y Skilled?

Competent es la de nivel más alto, en C1, en la escala CEFR.

¿Able, Competent y Skilled tienen el mismo nivel CEFR?

Able: A2, Competent: C1, Skilled: B2 en la escala CEFR.

¿Qué categoría gramatical son Able, Competent y Skilled?

Able: adjective, Competent: adjective, Skilled: adjective.

¿Puedes mostrar un ejemplo de cada una?

Able: She is able to speak three languages. Competent: She is a competent lawyer who always wins her cases. Skilled: a skilled engineer/negotiator/craftsman

¿Puedo usar Able, Competent y Skilled indistintamente?

No siempre. Able, Competent y Skilled 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.