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Learn why there is no definitive answer to how many words are in English, and what factors complicate the task of counting them. See estimates, examples, and sources from Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionaries.
- The English Dictionary
- Slang and Jargon
- The Average Person
- Other Languages
First, let’s look at how many words are in the Dictionary. The Second Edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476 words in current use (and 47,156 obsolete words). Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, together with its 1993 Addenda Section, includes some 470,000 entries. But, the number ...
It’s impossible to determine how many words there are in the English language from the dictionary alone. First, it takes a while for dictionary publishers like Oxford University and Merriam-Webster to include new words in their dictionaries. Slang and jargon also exist. There are different slang terms. Some exist depending on where you live, and ot...
It’s safe to say that the average vocabulary of people is less than the total number of words in English. When you use the word counter in Google Docsto count the number of words you’ve typed in an essay, that number will only be a fraction of the total number of words in English. There is just no way that someone can know and use daily every word ...
Now, let’s compare English to other languages to see which language has the most words. English has always been influenced by other languages. It originally shared “much of its grammar and basic vocabulary” with Dutch and German. Later on, it took words from French and Latin. Per the Linguistic Society of America, there are about “6,909 distinct la...
Jul 24, 2020 · The answer is not simple, as it depends on how you define a word and what sources you use. Learn about the challenges of counting words, the types of words, and the influences of other languages on English.
Jan 14, 2020 · Learn an approximate answer to this question, based on the number of words in the dictionary and the vocabulary of average English speakers. Find out how many words are obscure, technical, or outdated, and how to expand your own word knowledge.
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The web page explains why there is no simple answer for the exact number of words in English and how dictionaries and word lists can help. It also provides some statistics and examples of the words used by different people and groups.
Learn about the different estimates of the number of words in English, from over a million to 20,000-30,000. Find out how to expand your vocabulary and use the Oxford English Dictionary.
Apr 1, 2000 · The web page explores the challenges of defining and counting words and vocabulary in English. It cites different estimates from dictionaries and experts, and discusses the factors that affect the size and complexity of the language.
