not capable to

USAGE SUMMARY

The correct phrase would be "not capable of." For example, "The device is not capable of performing at higher speeds."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

** Estimation of own capability, visual analogue scale, rang 0, indicating not capable, to 10 very much capable.

BMC Family Practice

Europe is not capable to solve the problem.

The Washington Post

Conventional manufacturing techniques are not capable to process the advanced engineering materials with stringent properties.

Procedia Manufacturing

Consequently, if such points do not exist, then LDP method is not capable to recognize the stability condition.

Chemical Engineering Science

"I guess this time around I was just not capable to motivating the men as I should have done".

The New York Times - Sports

Natural stocks, however, are not capable to satisfy the potential demand by pharmaceutical industries without being heavily degraded.

Aquaculture

I was not capable to understand every statistics so that his answer about this new coming book at that time was the most relevant and apt one.

Harvard University

The body that supposed to protect us from very few radicals (that chose violence as their expression language) is not capable to function.

University of California, Berkeley

They are well suited for approximating the lifetime, but they are not capable to capture a realistic degradation of the material including redistribution of stresses.

International Journal of Fatigue

However, it is not capable to characterize suspended matter in detail as it lumps signals of particles of a wide range of sizes.

Journal of Hydrology

Current tools and design flows hit the limits of complexity and therefore are not capable to efficiently address software and hardware design and optimization in a joint way.

Procedia Computer Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "not capable of" instead of "not capable to". The correct preposition is 'of', not 'to'.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "not capable to". The standard and grammatically correct form is "not capable of". Using "to" is a common mistake that should be corrected to maintain clarity and grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not capable to" functions as a descriptive phrase indicating a lack of ability or competence. However, it is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "not capable of". Ludwig shows many examples of this error.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

28%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "not capable to" is a common yet grammatically incorrect expression. The proper form is "not capable of". While Ludwig identifies numerous instances of the incorrect phrase across diverse sources, including science, news, and academia, it's crucial to adhere to the correct grammatical structure in both formal and informal writing. Alternatives like "unable to" and "incapable of" provide grammatically sound substitutes. Remembering to use "of" after "capable" ensures clarity and precision in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not capable of

Corrects the grammatical error by using the correct preposition 'of' after 'capable'.

unable to

Replaces "capable" with its direct antonym "unable" and uses the correct preposition 'to' instead of 'of'.

incapable of

Uses the single-word equivalent "incapable" with the correct preposition 'of'.

not competent to

Focuses on the lack of required skills or knowledge.

not equipped to

Indicates a lack of necessary resources or skills, differing slightly in nuance from pure capability.

lacking the ability to

More verbose, emphasizing the absence of a general ability.

not up to the task of

Idiomatic expression referring to a specific task.

unfit to

Implies unsuitability for a particular task or role.

not equal to

Indicates a deficiency in meeting certain demands or expectations.

deficient in

Highlights a shortage of necessary qualities or skills.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say someone lacks ability?

The correct way to express a lack of ability is to use the phrase "not capable of" instead of "not capable to."

What can I say instead of "not capable to"?

You can use alternatives like "unable to", "incapable of", or "not equipped to" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "not capable to" or "not capable of"?

"Not capable of" is the correct grammatical form. "Not capable to" is an incorrect usage.

How can I remember to use "not capable of" instead of "not capable to"?

Think of "capable" as needing something to complete it. "Of" is the correct preposition to use to complete the phrase, as in "capable of doing something".