There are at least four distinct uses of the term "competence" in speech communication: (1) to refer to some set of standards used in evaluating aspects of communication processes, (2) to refer to some set of objects to be evaluated, (3) to refer to a method for evaluating aspects of communication against some standard, and (4) to refer to a process, attribute, or mechanism that is offered as an explanation of some evaluated feature of communication. Regardless of its use, it is important to keep in mind that there is no single, widely accepted use for the term and that anyone can, in fact, use the term any way he or she pleases. In addition, the different uses of the word competence involve references to different things, and very often the application of the term to something depends more on the way a researcher has set the parameters in a research program than on anything else. When competence is used to refer to some standards of evaluation for communication, it is important to recognize that just as there is no correct use for the term "competence," there is no single correct set of standards for assessing communication. The best solution would be to stop using the term and to develop a differentiated vocabulary that reflects distinctions in its use. (HOD)