⚡ Quick summary
Both talent and skill are used to describe an aptitude for doing something. However, outside of casual use, talent is generally used to refer to something that someone is naturally good at, while skill is generally used to refer to something a person becomes good at through practice and training.
We often use the words talent and skill to describe amazing feats and impressive people. Do these words mean the same thing, or do they refer to different kinds of ability?
In this article, we will examine the words talent and skill, explain how we use them differently, and provide examples that show how we typically use them in sentences.
talent vs. skill
The word talent is defined as “a special natural ability or aptitude.” The word skill is defined as “the ability, coming from one’s knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well.”
These definitions point toward the common distinction that is often made between talent and skill. If someone is naturally good at something, they have talent or a talent. If someone had to work or train to be good at something, they have skill or a skill. This distinction is also often applied to the adjectives talented and skilled.
Sometimes, the same ability or proficiency can be described as a talent or a skill depending on the person. For example, a musician who masterfully plays guitar without ever having practiced it could be said to have talent at playing the guitar. On the other hand, a musician who masterfully plays guitar because they developed that ability with years of practice would likely be said to be skilled at playing the guitar.
Examples of talent and skill in a sentence
Let’s test our skills by looking at how we typically use talent and skill in sentences.
- Since she was just five years old, Marissa has had a talent for singing.
- George was a terrible talker, but he managed to develop a skill at public speaking through years of speech training.
- Sam had such unbelievable talent at baseball that every team wanted to sign him.
- A party clown needs special skills, such as juggling and balloon-tying.
- Everyone knew Stephanie had a talent for music, but acting was a skill she acquired later in life.
