competency
/ˈkɑm.pə.tən.si/noun
competency is spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-C-Y: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, competency means “The ability to perform some task; competence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of competency is competencies.
How many letters and syllables are in competency?
| Letters | 10: C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-C-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 20,356th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is competency?
Competency appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce competency?
- UK /ˈkɒm.pə.tən.si/
- US /ˈkɑm.pə.tən.si/
Competency has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-competency.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with competency?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as competency from its last stressed vowel (/ɑmpətənsi/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of competency
- competencies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does competency mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The ability to perform some task; competence.
- 2
An individual's capacity to understand the nature and implications of their legal rights and obligations.
- 3
Implicit knowledge of a language’s structure.
- 4
obsoleteA sufficient supply of something.
- 5
obsoleteA sustainable income.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Competency in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | competência, aptidão , qualificação |
| Spanish | competencia |
| French | compétence |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does competency come from?
From Late Latin competentia. Doublet of competence.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).