What is a vocabulary?
Q: What is a vocabulary?
A: A vocabulary is a list of words that a person knows and uses.
Q: How many words does a five-year-old typically know?
A: A five-year-old typically knows about 4,000 to 5,000 words.
Q: How many words may an adult who has gone to college know?
A: An adult who has gone to college may know 20,000 words.
Q: Is a hearing and reading vocabulary bigger than a speaking and writing vocabulary?
A: Yes, a hearing and reading vocabulary are bigger than a speaking and writing vocabulary because people understand some words that they do not use.
Q: How many words are in the English language?
A: There are about 750,000 words in English, but this number may be more since the number of words in a language is always changing.
Q: What are some examples of new words that have been added to the English language?
A: Examples of new words added to the English language include "download" and "bling."
Q: Do the most used words tend to be short words?
A: Yes, the most used words tend to be short words, and the 50 most common words in English have fewer than seven letters. Half of these words have fewer than four letters.
