Vocabulary: how many words do you need to know? Vocabulary: optimal size and ways to increase it.

Which a person owns.

Classification [ | ]

There are two types of vocabulary: active and passive.

Active Vocabulary includes the words a person uses in speaking and writing.

Passive Vocabulary includes words that a person recognizes by reading or hearing, but does not use them himself in speech and writing. Passive vocabulary is usually several times larger than active vocabulary.

Human vocabulary[ | ]

Russian language [ | ]

There are about 500 thousand roots in the Russian literary language, and dozens of words derived from them. “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language” by V. I. Dal has about 200 thousand words. The most common words, according to the editors, are about 30 thousand words, and the highest frequency is just over 6 thousand words, covering more than 90% of the texts processed in the compilation of this dictionary.

However, the “alphabetical-frequency word index to Lenin’s PSS” has a controversial [ ] calculation methodology, as well as the vocabulary of A. S. Pushkin’s language. For example, in V.I. Lenin’s PSS: anarchist, anarchist, anarchist, minister-clown, absolutely necessary, parliamentary-impeccable, parliamentarian-communist, parliamentarian-socialist, etc. are taken into account in the calculation. The same “methodology” is used by the “Dictionary of the Pushkin Language”. For example, “leaf”, “leaflet”, “leaflet”, “leaflet”; "tsar" and "tsar-cannon" are counted as separate words.

English language [ | ]

According to dictionary compilers Webster (Third International Dictionary) And Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition, 1993), the English language has 470 thousand words.

But some researchers argue that when counting English words, it is necessary to take into account all neologisms, including words from Internet blogs and other informal resources, as well as words used only in varieties of English, for example, in China and Japan.

« Lexicon William Shakespeare, according to researchers, is 12,000 words. The vocabulary of a black man from the cannibal tribe “Mumbo-Yumbo” is 300 words. Ellochka Shchukina easily and freely made do with thirty...”

Do you lack words to properly express your thoughts? If you are faced with the question “?”, this article will be useful to you.

In the modern world, beautiful and rich speech speaks of culture and good education. Rich Russian vocabulary indicates the level of intellectual development of a person. Society perceives a person with a rich vocabulary as an intelligent and creative person. People with a rich vocabulary get jobs faster, move up the career ladder more successfully, and are generally listened to more often and more attentively. The more human vocabulary, the higher the likelihood that he will succeed in life.

The following recommendations will help you expand your Russian vocabulary:

Methods, methods and techniques for increasing vocabulary

Think about which of the banal, hackneyed, hackneyed words and expressions you are used to using every day in standard communication situations. Write them down on a piece of paper. Have you recorded it? Now take an explanatory dictionary or a dictionary of synonyms from the shelf. Find these words that already hurt your ears and that you are tired of hearing every day. Study the long list of alternatives and say each of these words out loud. Which one reflects your personality? Which one is right for you personally? Try each one out as you try on a suit and see which ones you find comfortable and cozy. Pick a few of these words and practice saying them out loud until they become a natural part of your vocabulary;
Communication is basic source of replenishment of a person’s vocabulary.During a conversation, each participant replenishes his vocabulary from the arsenal of his interlocutor, and word exchange occurs between them. Talk to friends, acquaintances, and family as much as possible. Use new words in your vocabulary; knowledge of a word is nothing without its use;
Read, reading books is useful. Start with those authors who are more understandable and close to your interests. Gradually add literature that is more complex. The text where there are interesting words and expressions that you want to remember and use in the future, re-read it out loud (by reading to ourselves, we also expand our vocabulary, but not so quickly, because in this way we only see the words; when reading aloud, we In addition to this, we also hear them and, most importantly, we pronounce them, so we remember them better);
When you notice a new word, don't just look at its definition in the dictionary. Pay attention to the turn of speech in which this word is used, try to replace it with the appropriate synonym for yourself. Try to rhyme, come up with as many suitable phrases as possible. The more you know about a word, the faster you will learn to use it, without complicating your memory. This will immediately affect the beauty and personality of your speech;
Write. Rewrite other people's articles and your favorite literary works, following the example of Demosthenes, who rewrote Thucydides' History eight times in a row.
Crosswords are not just entertainment, but also a way vocabulary development. Use this opportunity on the road, on vacation. Choose crosswords from well-known publications or those that have a good reputation;
For those who spend a lot of time on the road, driving or have absolutely no free time to use books and dictionaries, there is a unique opportunity develop your speech and increase your vocabulary using audiobooks. This method will also be acceptable for an audience that perceives better by ear. In any case, while away the time in traffic jams reading good literature is much more useful and effective for your development.

Ways to remember new words

The richest and most beautiful Russian language allows people who speak it to express themselves in a variety of ways. Accuracy of formulation and beautiful speech depend on the vocabulary a person owns. The more words he uses, the more intellectually developed he is considered. Therefore, it becomes important to increase the number of words used.

Scientific vocabulary is called a lexicon, meaning words familiar to an individual, a group, or included in a language. It is conventionally divided into;

Active. The first group includes words used every day. They are included in both written and spoken language. A sign of an active vocabulary is free use that does not require additional effort.
Passive. Passive words include understandable words that appear in various sources, but are not used in speech, or are used but extremely rarely. They are used when necessary, but it takes effort to remember.
External. The external lexicon denotes unknown words related to specific areas of knowledge. These are professional terms, neologisms, etc. It is hardly possible to make clear boundaries between these groups. They are rather shaky and fluctuate in one direction or the other. With growing up and mental development, the vocabulary grows.

So, if a child going to first grade speaks two thousand words, then in the last grade this number already grows to five thousand. For those who study and develop further, the vocabulary reaches 10,000 words or more. Then most of them are classified as passive stock.

Erudite people sometimes speak even 50,000 words. But only a small part is used daily when communicating. The rest of the vocabulary is used only with intellectuals like him.

Exercises to expand your vocabulary

The following exercises are performed in written or oral form.

Nouns. They tell a short story using only nouns. "Day. Work. End. Exit. Door. Key. Entrance. Car. Key. Ignition" and so on.
Verbs. The same thing that was told using nouns is repeated, only with verbs.
Adjectives and adverbs. Then comes the turn of other parts of speech.
Alphabet. Come up with related words that sequentially begin with the letters of the alphabet in order. “Alena talks in the evening, walking to the treasured spruce tree, gesticulating and eloquently cherishing the cute, tender dandelions. Pasha follows nearby, dragging a convenient chrome flashlight, often catching the nimble chirping with an extravagant humorous language.”
Monophone. They come up with their own speech, the words of which begin with the same letter. Each of them is connected to each other, even if the meaning suffers.

It is not easy to do each of the exercises. But words gradually move from a passive vocabulary to an active one and its replenishment occurs.

Techniques for expanding your vocabulary without extra time

Developing vocabulary is essentially necessary for voicing your thoughts, intentions, analysis and conclusions. This skill is strengthened by practice and weakened by its absence. Therefore, in order to develop your speech, you should constantly communicate. The growth of vocabulary is ensured: by learning new words that we hear from our interlocutors; precise definitions when words are translated from passive to active vocabulary.

Therefore, it is advisable to communicate with unlike people. These are friends, neighbors, fellow students, comrades in the gym. People meeting on the Internet on forums and social networking pages, fellow travelers and sellers also serve as an opportunity for communication and as a way to expand your speech.
Another effective way to replenish your vocabulary, which does not require special time, is listening to audio books. This is relevant when you have to spend a lot of time on the road, driving your car, ideal for auditory learners (for people who better perceive information by ear). A variety of books are sold in this format: novels, aphorisms, and philosophical teachings. By recording it on a flash drive, you can now not get bored in a traffic jam, but listen to a fascinating story. It is convenient to listen to audio books before bed.

Replenishing vocabulary with time allocation

The following activities will help increase your vocabulary.

Reading. Reading is a rich source of information. Books, newspapers, online publications, magazines - everywhere there are inexhaustible reserves of replenishing the vocabulary. It is advisable to devote an hour a day to this exciting activity. Sometimes it's good to say the words out loud.
Studying of foreign language. Do not limit your vocabulary to knowledge of one Russian language. Others are also useful to study. The more a person enriches his speech, the better connections are made, and it is easier to recall words from memory.
Games. There are interesting and exciting linguistic games: charades, puzzles and the like. When they guess them, they inevitably become interested in the words and meaning.
Diary. Another useful activity is keeping a diary. When it is impossible to take foreign language courses, they write for themselves. This is a good way to improve your vocabulary, since taking notes, you formulate thoughts that are in the emotional and motivating spheres.
Memorization. Memorization makes it possible to introduce new words into the active stock. This is done by retelling what is heard, memorizing verses and definitions. It is one of the most effective methods of acquiring new knowledge.

For this it is important:

include new words in speech every day;
use a notebook, entering intricate statements, words, phrases with clever expressions;
study the essence of new words by adding visualization techniques;
memorize poems, quotes, sayings, etc.

Improving your vocabulary requires conscious action. To achieve beautiful speech, constant training is required. Ignoring new words will not give them a chance to enter the active or passive vocabulary. It turns out that those who want to expand their vocabulary and enrich their language should make regular volitional efforts for this.

A person’s assessment may well serve as a very objective indicator of his intellectual development, high level of culture and good education. Society, as a rule, perceives such a person as smart and creative. It is initially easier for such a member of society to find a good and more promising job, he moves up the career ladder faster and more successfully and has a reputation as a person whose advice and recommendations should be listened to more often and more carefully.

What does the concept of human vocabulary mean?

Simply put, this is a set of words that this or that person owns. According to modern scientists, human vocabulary is of two types: active and passive. The first consists of words that are used both in writing and in spoken language. Passive, in turn, is that set of words that is recognized and understood, but not used by a person. As a rule, the latter is several times greater than the former.

What is the vocabulary of the Russian language?

According to recently obtained statistics, our language has almost 500,000 words, but only 3,000 are used in everyday speech. The average schoolchild uses 5,000 words, and the vocabulary of an adult is 8,000.

In other languages the situation is almost the same.

Is it possible to increase the set of words used?

Very often in everyday conversations one hears about the tongue-tiedness of one or another mutual acquaintance. You can often come across the opinion that the gift of oratory is given to us at birth and subsequently a person’s vocabulary (as a predisposition, for example, to some bad habits or diseases) cannot be corrected. This is nothing more than a delusion! Can! You can add, correct and improve! And doing this is not so difficult, the main thing is to set a goal.

How to improve a person's vocabulary. List of simple tips

Make a list of words that you are sure to use every day. Let this list be as long as possible. Ready? Now, using an explanatory dictionary or a dictionary of synonyms, write several alternatives next to each word. For example, “interesting” - remarkable, entertaining, curious, noteworthy, noteworthy. Try to remember them and use each of the written options at least once during the day. This is the only way they can remain in our memory.
Read as much as possible. Start with books by authors who are close and pleasant to you. And only gradually will it be possible to move on to more serious literature. If an unfamiliar word appears in a work, it is recommended that you look up its meaning in the dictionary, and if you want to remember it, read it out loud and repeat it mentally several times. Why is this so? - Modern scientists have proven that human memory retains better what was said at least once.
Write. If you have no one to write long, warm letters filled with positive emotions, use the example of Demosthenes: rewrite other people’s articles, favorite works of art, write down in a special notebook poems or sayings of the great that stirred something in your soul.
Crosswords are also quite useful for developing vocabulary. But in this case, I would like to warn you that the publications publishing them must be well-known and trusted.
If you have to spend most of your time on the road or behind the wheel, and there is simply a catastrophic lack of free time for the above, you can resort to the help of audiobooks, the choice of which is now quite large, and the quality is quite decent.

With these proven methods, you can gradually increase your vocabulary: English, Chinese, French and any other. But we should not forget that without making an effort, you are unlikely to be able to make your speech more melodic, informative and expressive.

The larger a person's vocabulary, the higher the likelihood that he will succeed in life.

Rich vocabulary: methods, methods and techniques for increasing it

In the modern world, beautiful and rich speech speaks of culture and good education. Society perceives a person with a rich vocabulary as an intelligent and creative person. The larger a person's vocabulary, the higher the likelihood that he will succeed in life.

Methods, methods and techniques for increasing vocabulary:

1. Think about which of the banal, hackneyed, hackneyed words and expressions you are used to using every day in standard communication situations. Write them down on a piece of paper. Have you recorded it?

Now take an explanatory dictionary or a dictionary of synonyms from the shelf. Find these words that already hurt your ears and that you are tired of hearing every day.

Study the long list of alternatives and say each of these words out loud. Which one reflects your personality? Which one is right for you personally?

Try each of them as you try on a suit and see which ones you find comfortable and cozy.

Choose a few of these words and practice by saying them out loud until they become a natural part of your vocabulary;

2. Communication is the main source of replenishing a person’s vocabulary. During a conversation, each participant replenishes his vocabulary from the arsenal of his interlocutor, and word exchange occurs between them.

Talk to friends, acquaintances, and family as much as possible. Use new words in your vocabulary; knowledge of a word is nothing without its use;

3. Read, reading books is useful. Start with those authors who are more understandable and close to your interests.

Gradually add literature that is more complex. The text where there are interesting words and expressions that you want to remember and use in the future, re-read it out loud (by reading to ourselves, we also expand our vocabulary, but not so quickly, because in this way we only see the words; when reading aloud, we In addition to this, we also hear them and, most importantly, we pronounce them, so we remember them better);

4. When you notice a new word, don't just look at its definition in the dictionary. Pay attention to the turn of speech in which this word is used, try to replace it with the appropriate synonym for yourself.

Try to rhyme, come up with as many suitable phrases as possible. The more you know about a word, the faster you will learn to use it without complicating your memory. E this will immediately affect the beauty and individuality of your speech;

5. Write. Rewrite other people's articles and your favorite literary works, following the example of Demosthenes, who rewrote Thucydides' History eight times in a row.

Crosswords are not just entertainment, but also a way to develop vocabulary. Use this opportunity on the road, on vacation. Choose crosswords from well-known publications or those that have a good reputation;

6. For those who spend a lot of time on the road, driving or have absolutely no free time there is a unique opportunity to use books and dictionaries develop your speech and increase your vocabulary with audiobooks.

This method will also be acceptable for an audience that perceives better by ear. In any case, while away the time in traffic jams reading good literature is much more useful and effective for your development. published