How the Vocabulary Test Works
This vocabulary test measures your English word knowledge through 20 carefully selected words ranging from easy to expert level. For each word, you'll select the correct definition from four options. Your score estimates your overall vocabulary size.
The test includes words from everyday language to academic and professional contexts. Your results show an estimated vocabulary size based on how you perform at each difficulty level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a vocabulary test?
A vocabulary test measures your knowledge of words and their meanings. It typically presents words and asks you to identify correct definitions, use words in context, or match words with synonyms/antonyms. This test uses a definition-matching format to estimate your overall vocabulary size based on your performance across difficulty levels.
How big is your vocabulary test?
This test includes 20 carefully selected words spanning four difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Advanced, and Expert. The words are chosen to represent different frequency levels in English, allowing us to estimate your total vocabulary size based on which difficulty levels you answer correctly.
How many words do I know test?
This test estimates your vocabulary size based on your answers. Average adult native speakers know 20,000-35,000 words. Well-educated adults may know 50,000-70,000+ words. Based on your performance, we estimate where you fall on this range. The test samples from different word frequencies to make this estimate.
How many English words do I know?
After completing the test, you'll see an estimated vocabulary size. Native speakers typically know: 10,000-15,000 words (basic), 20,000-35,000 words (average adult), 35,000-50,000 words (above average), 50,000-70,000+ words (highly educated/avid readers). Non-native speakers vary widely based on study and immersion.
Why is vocabulary important?
Vocabulary is crucial for communication, comprehension, and cognition. A larger vocabulary improves: reading speed and understanding, written and verbal expression, academic and professional performance, standardized test scores (SAT, GRE, etc.), and critical thinking. Studies show vocabulary strongly correlates with general intelligence and career success.
Why is vocabulary important in reading?
Reading comprehension directly depends on vocabulary. If you don't know 5-10% of words in a text, understanding drops significantly. Strong vocabulary allows you to: read faster, understand nuances, enjoy more challenging texts, learn new information more easily, and recognize word patterns to guess unfamiliar word meanings from context.
Why is vocabulary important in writing?
Rich vocabulary enables more precise, engaging, and persuasive writing. It helps you: choose exact words for your meaning, avoid repetition, vary sentence structure, adapt tone for different audiences, and express complex ideas clearly. Professional writers typically have large active vocabularies they use strategically.
How can I test my vocabulary level?
Take this free test! It measures your knowledge across difficulty levels to estimate your vocabulary size. For more comprehensive testing, academic vocabulary tests like the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) or Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) are used by researchers. Our test provides a quick, reliable estimate for general purposes.
How to test vocabulary size?
Vocabulary size is tested by sampling words from different frequency levels. If you know most high-frequency words but few rare words, your vocabulary is average. If you know rare words too, it's large. This test samples 20 words across frequencies. Professional tests use larger samples (50-100+ words) for more precision.
How many vocabulary words can you learn in a day?
Research suggests 10-20 words per day is achievable for motivated learners, but retention requires spaced repetition. A sustainable pace is 5-10 words with proper review. Quality matters more than quantity - learning words deeply (pronunciation, usage, collocations) beats memorizing many definitions superficially.
How many vocab words per week should I learn?
A realistic target is 20-50 new words per week with regular review. At 30 words/week, you'd add ~1,500 words per year. Consistency beats intensity - daily 10-minute sessions outperform occasional cramming. Use spaced repetition apps like Anki for optimal retention over time.
What is the average vocabulary size?
Average adult native English speakers know 20,000-35,000 word families (base words plus their inflections and derivations). Children learn about 3,000 words per year until adolescence. Vocabulary growth slows in adulthood but continues lifelong for readers. Non-native speakers typically know 3,000-10,000 words depending on proficiency level.
How many vocabulary are there in English?
English has approximately 170,000 words in current use (Oxford English Dictionary), with 47,000 obsolete words. Including technical and scientific terms, estimates exceed 1 million. However, 3,000 words cover 95% of everyday texts. No one knows all English words - even professors know perhaps 70,000-100,000.
Is this vocabulary test accurate?
This test provides a reasonable estimate based on sampling theory. With 20 words across difficulty levels, it's indicative rather than precise. Professional vocabulary tests use 50-100+ items for higher accuracy. Use your result as a general benchmark. Factors like lucky guesses or test anxiety can affect individual scores.
What are the different types of vocabulary tests?
Common formats include: definition matching (like this test), multiple choice synonyms/antonyms, fill-in-the-blank contexts, picture-word matching (for learners), productive tests (you supply words), and checklist tests (mark words you know). Each measures different aspects - receptive vocabulary (recognition) vs. productive (usage).
What makes a word advanced or difficult?
Word difficulty relates to: frequency (rare words are harder), origin (Latin/Greek roots can be challenging), abstraction (concrete vs. abstract meanings), context (academic vs. everyday usage), and length (longer words tend to be harder). Advanced words appear less frequently in common texts and often have specialized meanings.
How do I improve my vocabulary for tests?
For standardized tests (SAT, GRE): study high-frequency test words from prep lists, learn word roots systematically, read challenging material daily, use flashcards with spaced repetition, practice in context not just definitions, and review vocabulary actively over months, not days. Consistent long-term study beats cramming.
What's your vocabulary level?
Your vocabulary level indicates where you stand relative to others. Levels include: Beginner (~10,000 words), Intermediate (~20,000), Advanced (~35,000), Expert (~50,000), and Exceptional (~70,000+). Take this test to find out! Most adults fall in the Intermediate to Advanced range depending on education and reading habits.
How do children's vocabulary compare to adults?
Children learn approximately 3,000-5,000 words per year through age 17. A 5-year-old knows ~5,000 words, a 10-year-old ~10,000, a 15-year-old ~15,000. By adulthood, vocabulary growth slows but continues. Adult vocabulary size depends heavily on reading habits - avid readers continue growing vocabulary throughout life.
Does vocabulary correlate with intelligence?
Yes, vocabulary correlates strongly with measured intelligence (IQ). It's one of the best single predictors of cognitive ability. However, vocabulary is also learnable - unlike some cognitive abilities, you can significantly expand it through effort. A large vocabulary reflects both learning capacity and educational opportunity.
What is receptive vs. productive vocabulary?
Receptive vocabulary is words you understand when reading/hearing. Productive vocabulary is words you use when writing/speaking. Receptive is always larger - you recognize more words than you actively use. This test measures receptive vocabulary through definition recognition. Active writing tests would measure productive vocabulary.
How do I learn vocabulary from reading?
To learn from reading: read at your level (95% known words is ideal), look up unfamiliar words immediately or note them for later, read the word in context first before checking dictionary, reread passages after learning new words, and choose varied materials (fiction, non-fiction, different topics) to encounter diverse vocabulary.
What are word roots and why learn them?
Word roots are base elements (usually Latin/Greek) that carry core meaning. For example, "bene" (good) appears in benefit, benevolent, benefactor. Learning 100-200 common roots unlocks thousands of words because you can decode unfamiliar words by recognizing their parts. It's one of the most efficient vocabulary strategies.
Is vocabulary test good for ESL learners?
Yes! This test helps ESL/EFL learners benchmark their vocabulary against native speakers and identify their level. For language learners, knowing 3,000 high-frequency words covers 95% of everyday English. Our test includes words across frequency bands to help you understand where to focus your study.
How long does this vocabulary test take?
The test takes approximately 3-5 minutes to complete. There are 20 questions with no time limit per question. Take your time - accuracy is more important than speed for getting a reliable vocabulary estimate. You can retake the test to track improvement over time.