What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
comprehensibility
Example
The teacher's explanation had great comprehensibility, making it easy for the students to understand. [comprehensibility: noun]
Example
The article's comprehensibility was hindered by the use of technical jargon. [comprehensibility: noun]
intelligibility
Example
The speaker's accent made his words difficult to understand, reducing the intelligibility of his speech. [intelligibility: noun]
Example
The poor audio quality of the recording affected the intelligibility of the conversation. [intelligibility: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Intelligibility is more commonly used than comprehensibility in everyday language. Intelligibility is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while comprehensibility is less common and is typically used in academic or technical contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between comprehensibility and intelligibility?
Both comprehensibility and intelligibility are formal words, but comprehensibility is more formal and is typically used in academic or technical writing.