Different word for skills

What is another word for “skill”? This lesson provides a list of commonly used synonyms for “skill” in English with examples and ESL images. Learn these synonyms for “skill” to enhance your English vocabulary.

Skill Synonym

“Skill” Definition and Examples

Meaning of “Skill”: The qualification, quality or ability to do a certain task or activity efficiently; a special quality that makes someone adept at something

Examples:

•  “I feel you have the right skills for the job, we will hire you!”
• “ You are so skilled, you could play the drums with your eyes closed!”
• “He acted the part with consummate skill.”

Other Words for “Skill”

Common synonyms for “skill”.

• Ability
• Adeptness
• Aptitude
• Artistry
• Capability
• Cleverness
• Competence
• Competency
• Deftness
• Dexterity
• Efficiency
• Experience
• Expertise
• Expertness
• Finesse
• Flair
• Handiness
• Ingenuity
• Knack
• Mastery
• Prowess
• Skillfulness
• Smartness
• Talent
• Versatility
• Virtuosity

A huge list of 95+ different words to use instead of “skill”.

• Ability
• Accomplishment
• Acquaintance
• Acquirement
• Acquisition
• Address
• Adeptness
• Adroitness
• Agility
• Aptitude
• Art
• Artfulness
• Artifice
• Artistry
• Attainment
• Authority
• Bent
• Brilliance
• Brio
• Business
• Capability
• Capacity
• Cleverness
• Command
• Competence
• Competences
• Competencies
• Competency
• Craft
• Craftsmanship
• Cunning
• Deftness
• Dexterity
• Dexterousness
• Diplomacy
• Ease
• Efficiency
• Employment
• Experience
• Expertise
• Expertness
• Facility
• Faculty
• Finesse
• Flair
• Forte
• Genius
• Gift
• Hand
• Handicraft
• Handiness
• Ingenuity
• Job
• Jurisdiction
• Knack
• Know-how
• Knowledge
• Leadership
• Mastery
• Nimbleness
• Occupation
• Potential
• Power
• Profession
• Professionalism
• Proficiency
• Prowess
• Qualification
• Quickness
• Readiness
• Savoir faire
• Savvy
• Science
• Shrewdness
• Skillfulness
• Sleight
• Smartness
• Specialism
• Style
• Tact
• Talent
• Talented
• Technic
• Technique
• Touch
• Trade
• Training
• Trick
• Understanding
• Versatility
• Virtuosity
• Vocation
• Wit
• Work
• Workmanship

Skill Synonyms Infographic

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Another Word for Skill

Skill Synonyms with Examples

Learn another word for “skill” with example sentences.

• Ability

Students need the ability to construct a logical argument.

• Adeptness

 She really has made a lot of accomplishments in the field and her adeptness is amazing.

• Aptitude

He has a natural aptitude for this work.

• Artistry

It was a superb play, but there was no gallery to applaud Barnes’s artistry.

• Capability

You have the capability of doing this job well.

• Cleverness

He has a fond belief in his own cleverness.

• Competence

She shows a high level of technical competence.

• Competency

The English competency is very important here. How is your English proficiency?

• Deftness

I’m greatly impressed by your deftness in handling the situation.

• Dexterity

She handled the discussion with dexterity.

• Efficiency

Her efficiency and intelligence are beyond question.

• Experience

Every failure one meets with adds to one’s experience.

• Expertise

 She has considerable expertise in French history.

• Expertness

The expertness of her driving surprised him.

• Finesse

It was a disappointing performance which lacked finesse.

• Flair

He played with great imagination and flair.

• Handiness

I was greatly impressed by the handiness with which she played the piano.

• Ingenuity

 Inspecting the nest may require some ingenuity.

• Knack

Some people seem to have a knack for making money.

• Mastery

She appealed to his mastery for help in solving her problem.

• Prowess

The Gurkhas are famed for their prowess in battle.

• Skillfulness

He guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

• Smartness

I have betrayed you with my lack of smartness.

• Talent

His energy and talent elevate him to godlike status.

• Versatility

She is a designer of extraordinary versatility.

• Virtuosity

 The violinist’s virtuosity has amazed audiences all over the world.

Synonyms for Skill with Examples | Infographic

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Last Updated on January 8, 2021

• Categorized under Words | Difference Between Talent and Skill

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APA 7
Franscisco, . (2016, June 8). Difference Between Talent and Skill. Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects. http://www.differencebetween.net/language/words-language/difference-between-talent-and-skill/.

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Franscisco, . «Difference Between Talent and Skill.» Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, 8 June, 2016, http://www.differencebetween.net/language/words-language/difference-between-talent-and-skill/.

5 types of skills include: transferrable, personal, knowledge-based, soft skills, and hard skills.

When looking at ‘types of skills’, we usually dissect them into one of two taxonomies:

• Soft/hard: The first taxonomy skills into two groups: soft skills and hard skills.
• The 3-skill taxonomy: The second groups skills into three groups: transferrable, personal, and knowledge-based.

This article looks at both taxonomies, providing examples of skills that fit under each category.

The 3-Skill Taxonomy

1 Transferable Skills

Transferrable skills are professional skills that can be used across a range of different careers and professions.

They are valuable because you can take these skills when you change careers. They’re foundational skills that, once you have, you’re a much more desirable employee.

Examples of transferable skills include:

#	Transferrable Skill	Description
1.	Communication Skills	If you can communicate effectively within a team (while being persuasive and achieving compromise).
2.	Organization	People who are organized are more likely to succeed, no matter the task in front of them.
3.	Analytical Thinking	Analytical thinkers can identify problems, define them, get key information from a dataset, and develop logical solutions to the problems.
4.	Critical Thinking	Critical thinkers can critique information by identifying weaknesses, seeing them from various perspectives, and foreseeing problems.
5.	Computing	People with basic computing skills like word processing and working on computer datasheets can bring this transferable skill to a range of jobs.
6.	Writing	Strong writers can apply their writing skills to jobs as diverse as journalism to being a virtual assistant.

Related: Types of Critical Thinking Skills

2 Personal Traits and Attitudes

Personal skills are skills that could also be considered personality traits. They require emotional intelligence and reflect how you behave yourself in a range of situations.

They are valuable both at work and in your personal life. They’re obtained through both nature (you were born like this) and nurture (you learned these skills through trial and error).

Examples of personal traits and attitudes include:

#	Personal Trait / Attitude	Description
1.	Independence	A person with independence can complete a task by doing their own research and only asks for help when they have exhausted their personal research.
2.	Integrity	A person with integrity does the morally right thing (see also: integrity examples).
3.	Patience	Patience is a necessary skill for many professions. It’s especially important for mentors, coaches, and leaders.
4.	Compassion	A person with compassion is in a good situation to ensure their workplace is an inviting place to be.
5.	Assertiveness	An assertive person can make sure they’re not taken advantage of in the workplace.
6.	Resilience	Sometimes work gets tough, but a resilient person can persevere through the difficulties.

3 Knowledge Based Skills

Knowledge-based skills are skills developed for your particular profession. They reflect your ability to complete various tasks in your job.

These skills are learned either on the job or through formal education. You often go to university or conduct an apprenticeship in order to obtain these skills.

Examples of knowledge-based skills include:

#	Knowledge-Based Skill	Description
1.	Computer Programming	You need to get training on how to write code to become a computer programmer.
2.	Copywriting	A journalist knows just how to write perfectly to compel readers to keep on reading.
3.	Cannulating	A nurse knows how to cannulate a vein in order to execute their job. Most non-nurses have no idea how to do this.
4.	Search Engine Optimization	An SEO specialist knows how to make articles rank on search engines on Google.
5.	Driving	Most of us learn to drive, but truck drivers need much more fine-tuned skills to complete their jobs. This skill is what makes them employable.

The Soft and Hard Skills Taxonomy

The ‘soft skills’ vs ‘hard skills’ taxonomy is a different one to the taxonomy above, so put it aside and start afresh here.

Generally, my criticism of the hard skills / soft skills dichotomy is that many skills fit somewhere in-between. In my opinion, those ‘in-between skills’ can generally be categorized into the ‘transferrable skills’ section of the 3-skill taxonomy (above).

1 Soft Skills

Soft skills are subjective skills. They are not measured, taught, or required for any specific job. If you can’t put the skill on a key performance indicator, chances are, it’s a soft skill.

This category generally overlaps with the ‘personal skills’ and ‘transferrable skills’ categories in the 3-skill taxonomy.

Examples of soft skills include:

#	Soft Skill	Description
1.	Patience	Patience is a soft skill because it’s not one that’s measured, but is nonetheless an important skill to help you complete tasks.
2.	Communication	Communication skills are not measurable, but remain important for achieving your objectives in a range of jobs.
3.	Empathy	People with empathy are better at connecting with others, which is great in a range of jobs from teaching to sales.
4.	Cultural Competence	People with cultural competence are able to communicate with, include, and accommodate people from a range of cultural backgrounds.
5.	Multitasking	People who can multitasks will succeed in a range of different busy and demanding workplace settings.
6.	Goal Setting	If you can set your own goals, you’re in a better position to succeed in whatever task you set yourself.

Related: Types of Thinking Skills

2 Hard Skills

Hard skills are objective skills. They’re measurable and required for a specific job. They’re usually taught at trade school or on the job and unambiguously measurable (you either have the skill or you don’t).

They generally fit into knowledge-based skills category above (but not perfectly).

Examples of hard skills include:

#	Hard Skill	Description
1.	Speaking a second language	You can either speak a second language proficiently for a job or you can’t. When push comes to shove, can you have that conversation in French? (Note that this could also be a ‘transferable skill’ on the 3-skill taxonomy).
2.	Writing computer programs	To write computer programs, you need to know the coding language required.
3.	Building an electric circuit	Electricians know how to construct a safe electrical circuit. The rest of us aren’t so lucky and wouldn’t be able to bluff it.
4.	Cooking a meal	If someone puts the ingredients down in front of you, could you cook the meal? A chef probably could because they have the hard skill of cooking.
5.	Touch typing	This is measurable through tests that assess the amount of words per minute you can type. This is often required for secretarial and clerk work.
6.	Computer animated design	You couldn’t just bluff this. If, on the first day of your job, you’re asked to create a 3D animation of a chair, you’d need to know the steps and procedures for getting the job done.
7.	Multivariate analysis	This is a type of quantitative analysis that you can either do or not do, depending on your past training.

FAQs

What Types of Skills do you need in the Workplace?

While many people might first think the most important skills for the workplace are knowledge-based and hard skills, people who succeed in the workplace also have the other skills in spades. As you move up the ranks in the workplace, personal skills and emotional intelligence become more and more important.

What Types of Skills do you need in Sports?

Sports are very good at teaching personal and transferable skills. Whenever you accept a decision made by the referee that you don’t like, you’re developing the personal skill of humility. When you work well with teammates to score a goal, you’re developing communication skills. And when you accept a loss and shake hands with your opponent, you’re developing an understanding of grace.

What Types of Skills do you need as a Student?

In school, students develop all 3 types of skills in the 3-skill taxonomy. While the curriculum tends to focus on knowledge-based skills, students also develop the other skills throughout the day.

For example, when placed in teams and groups, students are focusing on developing transferrable skills like communication, negotiation, and delegating.

Related:

• Examples of Teaching Skills
• 47 Talent Examples
• A to Z List of Pedagogical Skills
• Types of Knowledge

Conclusion

Personally, I think the 3-skill taxonomy is the best way to look at different types of skills. The three different categories allow space for more nuanced exploration of that grey area between soft and hard skill categories in the hard/soft taxonomy.

These skill taxonomies can help teachers, counsellors, and even job applicants to think through the sorts of skills people need in their work and personal lives.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education.

Human Resources

Updated November 27, 2021

When you are looking for new recruits or promoting from within there will be a set of skills your roles require. Some skills people will have as part of their nature, while others need to be taught.

The hard skills can be defined as part of the role specification. And soft skills are defined as the person specification.

After reading this guide you will be able to clearly define the hard and soft skills needed for your open positions. And it will also benefit those looking to revamp their CV and highlight their best skills.

Discover:

• What are Hard Skills?
• What are Soft Skills?
• How to develop hard and soft skills?
• What’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills?
• List of hard and soft skills

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What are Hard Skills?

Hard skills are specific competencies, skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to perform a specific task or role. They can be learned through education and professional development. Usually, they are technical (but not always) and easily measurable.

Hard skills can be demonstrated through educational certificates or practical demonstrations.

For example, software development requires knowledge of some programming language and can be used for a variety of tasks, but the main goal is to write a computer program. The proficiency level can be easily measured.

Another example, design (of course it can be different – interior design, web design, etc.) but in general it is a specific skill set needed to perform exact tasks.

Microsoft suite knowledge, another example of hard skills, you can learn how to use Microsoft Word and Excel, and most often it will be needed for specific tasks.

So, each role will have different skill set requirements but they will be needed to perform a specific task.

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What are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are personality traits, social competencies and skills, knowledge, and abilities used to perform interpersonal activities and unique tasks. Sometimes they are also called human skills.

Usually, they are more closely linked to people’s personality traits they are born with and social skills. But they also can be trained and developed through practice and professional development.

Unfortunately, it is not that easy to gauge if someone has the right soft skills as there is less information to draw upon. This is especially true when hiring new employees as their soft skills will need to be assessed by getting to know them.

There are specific techniques and tests that can be used to measure soft skills, but note the results will be quite vague and not accurate. Only real-life situations will display how good people are in this area.

Certain soft skills you would ideally like all of your employees to have are punctuality and collaboration. Other skills might only be necessary for specific roles like leadership, communication, strategic thinking, and problem-solving.

Soft skills don’t come with certification but they are easily identified while working with someone. People with leadership skills will naturally take ownership and step up to lead. Those who are excellent timekeepers will always be on time or be forthcoming about potential lateness.

How to develop hard and soft skills?

You can check our article about employee development methods, we have mentioned what methods work best for different skills sets and particular skills.

It will help you find ways to train your employees and improve your own skills.

Regarding leadership skills check our leadership development plan guide because it is a unique skill set and it requires specific training.

One way to map, manage, and track the required skills and skill gaps of your employees is to use a skills matrix.

What’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

The main difference is that soft skills are heavily linked to an individual’s personality and are not something that can always be taught.

Of course, there are courses you can send people on to develop leadership skills, communication skills, and other soft skills. However, there is always going to be a natural element at play here. Some people are simply more likely to have good leadership skills than others.

Hard skills on the other hand are much more grounded in what people learn, they are focused on a specific task and can be taught more easily. You can send people on development courses to learn new hard skills or develop the skills they already have.

Throughout a career development, people might, or even will have to, change their skills set and develop more soft skills, especially if they are taking leadership positions. They will have practical knowledge needed for the role as well as having the interpersonal skills to make them shine.

Important: Your best employees may not necessarily be those who can exhibit great skills in both areas. Of course, that will be a plus, but not all roles require both skill sets.

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List of hard and soft skills

There are many hard and soft skills, so that we will list only a few.

Hard skills	Soft skills
Web development	Communication skills
Microsoft office	Timekeeping
Interpreting data	Persuasion
Financial planning	Leadership skills
Copywriting	Motivation
Troubleshooting	Ambition
Project management	Negotiating
Programming skills	Critical thinking
Social Media Marketing	Creative thinking
Bookkeeping	Work ethic
Spoken languages	Collaboration
Adobe Creative Cloud	Active listening
CRM platforms	Positive attitude
Research	Energy
Data engineering	Enthusiasm
Design	Friendliness
Diagnostics	Honesty
Google analytics	Confidence
Sales funnel management	Problem-solving
Coding languages	Adaptability
Construction	Conflict resolution
Content creation	Inspire people
Storytelling	Mentoring
Presentation skills	Empathy
Logistics	Patience
Business development	Cleanliness
Engineering	Cooperation
Market research	Emotional Intelligence
Quality assurance	Influence
Technical writing	Self-awareness
Affiliate marketing	Networking
Editing	Multitasking
Proposal writing	Competitiveness
Video production	Respectfulness
Auditing	Independence
Carpentry	Perseverance
Plumbing	Dependable
Business etiquette	Self-awareness
Forecasting	Wit
Data presentation	Persistence
Prototyping	Trainable
Systems administration	Public speaking
Search Engine Optimisation	Understanding body language
Marketing strategy	Flexibility
Facebook marketing	Supervisory skills
Google Ads	Delegation
Lead generation	Courtesy
Online advertising	Showmanship
Conversion optimization	Diversity and disability awareness
Link building	Accountability
DevOps	Self-confidence
User Interface Design	Customer service
Accessibility	Team Management

Now that you know the difference between soft and hard skills, it’s time to analyze which ones need to be added to your organization. And what to do next?