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Mike Wang
Capacity, Ability, Capability
What's the difference between these words? It seems they are all same. Are they interchangeable?
Please explain these three words to me with sentences.
Jul 27, 2018 1:01 PM
Answers · 4
1
Ability = What a person can do (Qualitative)
Capability= Generally refers to ability, Usually refers to what an inanimate object can do
Capacity = How much something can contain (Quantitative) ; sometimes used figuratively to indicate a person's mental or physical power
July 27, 2018
Thanks, Nanren888.
July 28, 2018
Ariana's answer has the essense of it.
These words are sometimes used in almost interchangeable ways and sometime differently.
I try to provide some wider examples.
I sometimes have the ability to answer questions. = I am able, because I know how (sometimes)
My team has the capability to do far more as a team than separately.
Can mean "know how", or can mean similarly to capacity, has enough resource.
We have little work on, so just now we have the capacity to take on two more jobs.
The factor building is larger than we need at the moment. With it, we have the ability to expand capacity without having to move.
July 27, 2018
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Mike Wang
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Taiwanese), English
Learning Language
English
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