How many words do you know?

find out

The number of words needed to advance to every level doubles.

A1 - 500

A2 - 1000

B1 - 2000

B2 - 4000

C1 - 8000

C2 - 16000

4 most important vocabulary milestones in language learning:

• 1000 words

1000 words allow you to understand about 80% of the language which surrounds you, as long as it is not too specialized.

In theory, it sounds great. JUST 1000 words and you understand that much! Unfortunately, the remaining 20% is what really matters.

Just look at this sentence:

"I went to the … to buy …. but they told me that they can't … .'

Sure, you understand a lot of words. But does it really help?

• 3000 words

3000 words allow you to understand about 95% of most ordinary texts.

It seems like a lot. Sure, on this level, you will be able to hold a decent conversation. You will also be able to get the general ideas and concepts of most of the articles.

BUT…general comprehension is not the same as full comprehension, as it involves some guessing.

Still, there is no shortage of enthusiasts who claim that such level is high enough to start picking up new words from context. However, researchers tend to disagree and say that the "magical" number of words which allows learning from the context is….(drum roll)

• 5000 words

5000 words allow you to understand about 98% of most ordinary texts. Such a vocabulary size warrants also accurate contextual guessing.

It means that you can function surrounded by this language without bigger problems. Sure, you will struggle if you want to formulate your thoughts really precisely, or when you encounter specialized vocabulary.

But other than that, you will be fine.

• 10000 words

10000 words allow you to understand about 99% of most texts.

This is the pinnacle of language learning. A counterpart of having the vocabulary of a college graduate.

With that many words, you can express yourself with amazing precision and pass for a native speaker if your accent is good enough.