# proficiency vs proficient

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### proficiency
*noun · IPA /pɹəˈfɪʃənsi/ · frequency rank #16,567*
Ability, skill, competence.

### proficient
*adjective · IPA /pɹəˈfɪʃ.ənt/ · frequency rank #19,946*
Good at something; skilled; fluent; practiced, especially in relation to a task or skill.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/proficiency-vs-proficient