How proficient are we in the English language

[2tallbill]

Your total vocabulary size is estimated to be:
35,900
words

[mendeleyev]

35,200 but I would be curious as to how accurate that is. I read, and write a lot, but frankly don't use have the words that this test presumes that I know. Some of them I had not seen in print since childhood.

[Muzh]

Does profanity count? If so I can double my score.

From my alma matter and reigning college football national champions:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_M._Fairman

[SANDRO43]

35,200 but I would be curious as to how accurate that is. I read, and write a lot, but frankly don't use have the words that this test presumes that I know. Some of them I had not seen in print since childhood.

Again, a question of vocabulary vs. usage. Few journalists would use words like legerdemain, raiment, conflate, adumbrate, mammon, pabulum, oneiromancy, caitiff, clerisy, hypnopompic, opsimath, epigone, etc. in their articles - unless they were courting a dismissal from their jobs .

However, a different type of writer catering for a different readers' audience might. A traditional dictionary lists ALL the acceptable words of a language, not just those known by most speakers.