Luke's ENGLISH Podcast - Learn British English with Luke Thompson More Questions of English & Listener Comments ππ½ββοΈ Bits & Bobs 5 [957]
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Oct 13, 2025 Discover how many words exist in English and how many you really need to know! Dive into the fascinating world of vocabulary size, active vs passive knowledge, and the iceberg metaphor. Learn about the shadowing technique for improving pronunciation with practical tips. Explore listener locations, with a spotlight on Uzbekistan and fun stories from unique listening experiences. Plus, find out which accents could be featured in future discussions, and uncover the impact of frequency lists on your language journey.
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English Has No Fixed Word Count
- English's total word count is fuzzy because dictionaries differ and languages borrow endlessly.
- Estimates range from ~200,000 (OED) to around 1,000,000 when technical and scientific terms are included.
Native Speakers Use Far More Passive Words
- Native speakers' vocabularies vary widely and include large passive stores.
- Most adults know 20,000β35,000 words with a smaller active vocabulary around 10,000β20,000.
Convert Passive Words Into Active Use
- Don't mistake raw word counts for communication skill; active vocabulary matters more.
- Convert passive words into active use by deliberately practising speaking and writing them.