Gentleness
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The state of being gentle.
Example sentence: Good directors can bring certain things out of you, with their intensity or gentleness or sensitivity or understanding. They can make an actor feel he can do no wrong.
Softness
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a state of being soft
Example sentence: In Arizona, we're at 7,000 feet, so we're above half of the world's atmosphere. It's crisp but hard, a side-raking light that can be revealing but doesn't have the softness that maritime air has.