Vocab test

[Kurosu]

http://testyourvocab.com/

Curious what kind of scores people here get.
I had around 23000, English is my third language but probably the one I use second most in my daily life.

[BIG OLAF]

I got 43,200. There were only about three or four words I didn't know.

[yoshiblue]

I got a mere 20,000ish. Oh well.

[Robert_Garcia]

22,700

Meh

[LK1721]

34,400. Surprises me since I rarely read anymore.

[Keilyn]

I do not trust online tests. Written Structure and Grammar are far more important in communication than the total vocabulary one can possess. A real skill is being able to translate between discourse communication into social communication. Master that skill and you will have a job always in any nation in the world.

[McLaughlin]

43,900. The only one I didn't know was leitmotiv, and now I do.

That said, proper grammar and sentence structure are far more important than the size of your vocabulary.

[BIG OLAF]

proper grammar and sentence structure are far more important than the size of your vocabulary.

This is correct. It's not the size of the wave (vocabulary), it's the motion on the ocean (proper grammatical sentence structure).

[Kurosu]

It's all in good fun. :P
And wow, some of you people must be really well read to score in the 40k+ range!

[Sinue_v2]

I only scored 29,500, although I excuse my score by agreeing with others that generally online tests are a notoriously poor indicator of aptitude. Lexicological diversity being no exception.

[CupOfCoffee]

Haha, I got 20,900. I read a lot of fiction, generally stuff from the '20s and later, and it's rare that I come across a word I don't know. Where are you guys learning all the crazy ones they had at the end of the list that just looked like random mishmashes of consonants? :lol:

[Nitro Vordex]

25,300. I highly doubt that's a fair test, considering a lot of those words seem to be rather uncommon, and probably not used in ANY vocabulary. Anyone who knows those words probably saw them by coincidence.

I agree on the grammar and sentence structure position; however, vocabulary can always improve a sentence's sound or appeal. The "motion of the ocean" analogy, is dependent on the waves' willingness to create that specific motion, and to keep the motion itself rhythmic and precise. The waves themselves don't have to be long or short, but, as a whole, they should fit together, and make an appealing array of sizes and shapes. In this way, they create the motion, by working together and showing off each waves' purpose and structure inside of the rhythm itself.

^That probably could have been worded much better, but it's been a while since I've done any kind of creative/constructive writing.

[Sinue_v2]

I agree on the grammar and sentence structure position; however, vocabulary can always improve a sentence's sound or appeal. The "motion of the ocean" analogy, is dependent on the waves' willingness to create that specific motion, and to keep the motion itself rhythmic and precise. The waves themselves don't have to be long or short, but, as a whole, they should fit together, and make an appealing array of sizes and shapes. In this way, they create the motion, by working together and showing off each waves' purpose and structure inside of the rhythm itself.

^That probably could have been worded much better, but it's been a while since I've done any kind of creative/constructive writing.

Essentially, even if you don't understand the definition and use of a word, you can typically infer it's meaning from the context provided the grammar and syntax are not garbled. We tend to have much larger vocabularies in this regard to what we hear and read, than we do in our actual vocabularies used in our speech and writing.

It's why an American with a southern accent, and an Englishman with a cockney accent can still more or less communicate well in the same language, but both may struggle with the Elizabethan dialect of Shakespeare - despite using many of the same words and phrases that are in common use today.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7E-aoXLZGY

[ShinMaruku]

31,300. This test is quite interesting if flawed.

[Delete]

27,100. What the heck, some of those words look made up....I'm calling Hackz

[Keilyn]

Essentially, even if you don't understand the definition and use of a word, you can typically infer it's meaning from the context provided the grammar and syntax are not garbled. We tend to have much larger vocabularies in this regard to what we hear and read, than we do in our actual vocabularies used in our speech and writing.

It's why an American with a southern accent, and an Englishman with a cockney accent can still more or less communicate well in the same language, but both may struggle with the Elizabethan dialect of Shakespeare - despite using many of the same words and phrases that are in common use today.

Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7E-aoXLZGY)

British English and American English share the majority of core words. Our education pushes us to use context to define words. This actually results in a lot overloading of words as well as Slang Definition.

When I first spoke with an Englishman I had to get used to the accent and at times the phonetic-like style of some words. Remember that English was far more phonetic until the 1800s.

Phonetic Languages are those where the way a word is written is the way it is pronounced. English is not Phonetic. Let me give you an example...The words "Know" and "No" or the word "Listen."

Its mostly the case that in non-phonetic languages it is easier to learn to speak the language than it is to write it. However, written and spoken language are two different things.

My personal favorite rule applying to written English deals in formality which imposes severe limitations on the use of pronouns as well as bans the use of contractions.

[darkante]

14,500.

Never heard some of the words so..
English being my second-language. Tried my best though. ^^XP

[McLaughlin]

Haha, I got 20,900. I read a lot of fiction, generally stuff from the '20s and later, and it's rare that I come across a word I don't know. Where are you guys learning all the crazy ones they had at the end of the list that just looked like random mishmashes of consonants? :lol:

I read the dictionary in waiting rooms.

A lot of the ones in that test are supremely uncommon and almost redundant. I'd hardly call it an accurate test.

[Randomness]

43,900. The only one I didn't know was leitmotiv, and now I do.

That said, proper grammar and sentence structure are far more important than the size of your vocabulary.

Leitmotif, you mean? It's pronounced with v sound though.

In any case, there's a ton more meaning in words than what the dictionary says. Denotation vs. connotation.

[Neith]

And here I was hoping to see 'veritable smorgasbord' on the list :wacko:

I only got 23,700, didn't know most of the last ones (or knew I'd heard OF them but not their meaning). To be honest, I don't read much as a hobby so that probably explains it.

[Gunslinger-08]

34,400. Pretty sure some of those words on that list are archaic English.

[bns1991]

According to this test, my vocabulary size is estimated to be 41,800 words. I learned a few as well^^;