1,056,097
I believe the difference is specific vs general.
Incompetent is when you're terrible at one thing, but you might be good at other things.
Inept is when you can't get a damn thing right.
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Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
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Raymond E. Camp
Ontario, NY
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Mimi Foster
Colorado Springs, CO
2,187,462
I think it's splitting hairs but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say incompetent is a noun and inept is an adjective. So, you may be dealing with an inept incompetent.
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Hella M. Rothwell, Bro...
Carmel by the Sea, CA
-
Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,505,863
I've always used them interchangably... usually with the word "bafoon" after it.
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Olga Simoncelli
New Fairfield, CT
1,712,776
Spelling.
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Olga Simoncelli
New Fairfield, CT
1,728,056
Inept means lacks the skills to do the task.
Incompetent means has the skills, just doesn't use them to the fullest potential.
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
3,741,214
I'm laughing because this sounds like it might be a Utah real estate student question.
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,513,143
I'll go with Roger D. Mucci and Liz and Bill Spear answer! But they are all good responses.
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,029,053
I'M BITING MY TONGUE, KATHLEEN!!!!!
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
-
Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
3,174,937
the letters c, o, m, e, n & t
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
3,071,489
What Roger D. Mucci said - he beat me to it!
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
2,707,721
Basically interchangeable...but neither is one anyone would want to be called!
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
-
Becca Rasmussen
Highlands Ranch, CO
1,231,853
See Sandy Padula and Norm Padula, JD, GRI comment.
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
6,416,169
I dont know, I will wait for the big reveal.
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
4,800,132
I'm here reading the other answers and really have no clue as to the difference. (Does that make me inept or incompetent?)
-
Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
2,784,416
Not good at what you do & not knowing that you are not good at what you do
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,552,918
You mean the difference between Trulia & Zillow? And LOL to clever Roger D. Mucci 's comment!
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
231,224
seems pretty much the same, the latter sounds meaner :)
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,525,616
I like agree with Roger and Liz and Bill.
-
Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,846,851
Intent?
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
634,532
They can be synonymous, both meaning lack of skill required to accomplish a thing. So what was the surprising answer, Kathleen Daniels?
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
5,060,238
Seems to me they esssentially mean the same - not having the skill of knowledge
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Lisa Von Domek
Dallas, TX
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
7,862,342
Both are appropriate for some real estate agents.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
3,416,038
One you do not know better and the other you just do not want to do it right or do not care to or a mixture of both
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
4,581,818
Yikes, yet another country song....
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
991,152
Incompetenet - unable to do something
Inept - can do but does poorly
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
98,823
Per Merriam-Webster, they are synonymous. So to sum up, in the words of a childhood friend: same difference.
Related to incompetent
Synonyms
incapable, inept, inexpert, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, unskilled, unskillful
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
2,538,633
Good morning Kathleen. Hopefully I don't have to deal with folks that fall into either category. Things can be challenges with any additional help.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,624,653
Still very close, no?
''generally awkward or clumsy; haplessly incompetent.''
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
4,319,773
Kathleen Daniels - irrespective of the meaning of each word, the result will be a 'mess' when we deal with them....lol!
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
2,224,473
Oh geeze...you mean I have to think to answer this question.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
4,175,629
Kathleen Daniels Both words are very similar.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
2,684,569
Inept means you do not know how, incompetent means you are not qualified.
-
Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
902,038
They are synonyms in terms of definitions; do not think there are any connotations with either such as in the case of thin/skinny, for example. Those are also synonyms, but while thin is perceived as positive, skinny is not (too thin).
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
921,504
The difference lies in the syntax applied. Both pejorative even if applied incompetently.
What these words share in common is they always describes the other side.
So just substitute "Not Me'" and everything intended as been said.
As in 'She is so "Not me!"
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
940,687
Kathleen, to me incompetent is someone who has absolutely no clue what he/she is doing; inept is when someone may know what should be done but is horribly amateurish in trying to accomplish the task at hand. That is my take.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
4,959,192