How many words are in your working vocabulay?

[squarejohn]

Twenty of thirty years ago, I came across a sort of test that determined the extent of ones vocabulary. A very good dictionary was necessary. I wanted to redo the test many years later and thought I could find it on the internet. No luck, so far. Do any of you habitues at AH have any idea where one can find such a test?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I have such a test that estimates total vocabulary, but our practical vocabulary is the 3000 words we use 98% of the time. In fact we use the 50 most common words for 1/2 of our writing and speech. The average dog knows 200 words.

 

[estragon]

If you must take public transportation regularly in a large city, as I do, you find yourself overhearing numerous conversations despite having no desire to do so. My daily commute has led me to conclude that if the words "like", "goes", "shit, and "fuck" (the latter with the variant "fuckin') were removed from most people's vocabulary, they wouldn't be able to talk at all--which would be a blessing.

 

[sr71plt]

If you must take public transportation regularly in a large city, as I do, you find yourself overhearing numerous conversations despite having no desire to do so. My daily commute has led me to conclude that if the words "like", "goes", "shit, and "fuck" (the latter with the variant "fuckin') were removed from most people's vocabulary, they wouldn't be able to talk at all--which would be a blessing.

I think you missed "ummmm" and "ya know."

 

[TE999]

If you must take public transportation regularly in a large city, as I do, you find yourself overhearing numerous conversations despite having no desire to do so. My daily commute has led me to conclude that if the words "like", "goes", "shit, and "fuck" (the latter with the variant "fuckin') were removed from most people's vocabulary, they wouldn't be able to talk at all--which would be a blessing.

Not to mention tying their hands together.

 

[oggbashan]

How about This?

Og

 

[elfin_odalisque]

squarejohn, just type 'vocabulary test' into google and you'll get all you need.

Despite the comments here, too wide a vocabulary can be a problem when you're trying to get your message (or story) across.

 

[JackLuis]

How about This?

Og

Too easy. High School level maybe.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Too easy. High School level maybe.

Yep, 50/50 on that one.

 

[squarejohn]

How about This?

Og

I aced it

 

[mynameisben]

"Working" vocabulary is a slippery thing. When I speak, my vocabulary isn't all that impressive. But when I write, my vocabulary can soar into the hundreds.

 

[TxRad]

"Working" vocabulary is a slippery thing. When I speak, my vocabulary isn't all that impressive. But when I write, my vocabulary can soar into the hundreds.

Also in speaking, my vocabulary seems to be in direct proportion to the vocabulary of the person I'm speaking with. In writing, it's in direct proportion to the IQ of my characters, their background, and region of the country.

Funny that.

 

[lovecraft68]

Also in speaking, my vocabulary seems to be in direct proportion to the vocabulary of the person I'm speaking with. In writing, it's in direct proportion to the IQ of my characters, their background, and region of the country.

Funny that.

In response to this I would have to say I agree. Taking into consideration we are writing porn not shakesperian theatre I would think many of us are not using our full vocabulary. In writing my incest series which covers a 20 year relationship I have gone out of my way to have the Brother/sister of the present who are in their late 30's use different expressions and language than when I write them at 18-20.

 

[MarlowBunny]

Twenty of thirty years ago, I came across a sort of test that determined the extent of ones vocabulary. A very good dictionary was necessary. I wanted to redo the test many years later and thought I could find it on the internet. No luck, so far. Do any of you habitues at AH have any idea where one can find such a test?

Let us know if you find the test.

My answer is "lots."

 

[oggbashan]

Another test.

 

[Pure]

here's a suggestion

http://socyberty.com/languages/how-to-estimate-your-vocabulary-size/


similar, but more complex:

http://testyourvocab.com/details.php

 

[Loring2]

I have such a test that estimates total vocabulary, but our practical vocabulary is the 3000 words we use 98% of the time. In fact we use the 50 most common words for 1/2 of our writing and speech. The average dog knows 200 words.

JBJ, animals are magnificent. What with dogs having 200 word vocabularies and cats of course also have large vocabularies;Fifty words or so and paying attention to precisely none of them.

Much like humans.

 

[stephen55]

The average dog knows 200 words.

The smartest dog I ever had was a mutt I named "Wilson". I trained him to retrieve ducks and geese. When Wilson passed on I paid serious money for a pedigreed Black Lab pup from a recognized kennel. The damned thing was as thick as a post.

 

[SavourYou30]

boobs.... boobs.... boobs

3

 

[vrosej10]

squarejohn, just type 'vocabulary test' into google and you'll get all you need.

Despite the comments here, too wide a vocabulary can be a problem when you're trying to get your message (or story) across.

i have huge vocab and half the time no one understands me. Its worst when I can think of the perfect word to say what I mean and then no one knows what it means; it is frustrating. In primary school this was a huge problem for me.

 

[mynameisben]

i have huge vocab and half the time no one understands me. Its worst when I can think of the perfect word to say what I mean and then no one knows what it means; it is frustrating. In primary school this was a huge problem for me.

Me too. It's like not good and really bad and stuff. People can't know the talk things I do. Grrrrr!

 

[Tio_Narratore]

And then, a few years ago,an educational consultant analyzed my course readings for level of education. I was way out of line, she told me; all my readings were at the Post-Doctoral level of comprehension, and I was teaching in a Juniour College.

Her test involved counting words and syllables, calculating the average (well, in her case, having the computer calculate the average), and using these two figures to locate the article on a graph of "reading Comprehensibility."

The article was Horace Miner's classic, "Body Ritual among the Nacirema," and it had really big words like "accommodation."

She also gave me a set of questions that would be appropriate to ask students, if they actually managed to read this incredibly difficult piece. It was clear from her questions that she hadn't realized that the article was a satire, and one of her questions for the students was "Where do the Nacirema live?"

So I asked her, "Where do the Nacirema live?"

"It's there in the second paragraph," she answered.

"No," I said, "I want you to tell me where they live."

She read the start of the paragraph: "The Nacirema live in the territory between the Cree of Canada and the Tarahumara of Mexico on the north and south, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on the east and west."

I traced the area on the wall map in the classroom. "Try reading their name backwards," I suggested.

Enough said about such tests. And those who rely on them.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

JBJ, animals are magnificent. What with dogs having 200 word vocabularies and cats of course also have large vocabularies;Fifty words or so and paying attention to precisely none of them.

Much like humans.

Since I retired I spend more time with my dogs (4 of them), and they do a good job of expressing themselves.

 

[trysail]

And then, a few years ago,an educational consultant analyzed my course readings for level of education. I was way out of line, she told me; all my readings were at the Post-Doctoral level of comprehension, and I was teaching in a Juniour College.

Her test involved counting words and syllables, calculating the average (well, in her case, having the computer calculate the average), and using these two figures to locate the article on a graph of "reading Comprehensibility."

The article was Horace Miner's classic, "Body Ritual among the Nacirema," and it had really big words like "accommodation."

She also gave me a set of questions that would be appropriate to ask students, if they actually managed to read this incredibly difficult piece. It was clear from her questions that she hadn't realized that the article was a satire, and one of her questions for the students was "Where do the Nacirema live?"

So I asked her, "Where do the Nacirema live?"

"It's there in the second paragraph," she answered.

"No," I said, "I want you to tell me where they live."

She read the start of the paragraph: "The Nacirema live in the territory between the Cree of Canada and the Tarahumara of Mexico on the north and south, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on the east and west."

I traced the area on the wall map in the classroom. "Try reading their name backwards," I suggested.

Enough said about such tests. And those who rely on them.

Clearly, it's another case of "Erewhon."

 

[Zeb_Carter]

i have huge vocab and half the time no one understands me. Its worst when I can think of the perfect word to say what I mean and then no one knows what it means; it is frustrating. In primary school this was a huge problem for me.

Try English next time.