How Many Words Are There in the Spanish Language

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The Spanish Language:

The seven billion people of earth lead diverse lives. They speak more than seven thousand languages, some of which are more popular than the others. One of the most widely spoken tongues in the world of today is Spanish. It is officially recognized in more than 20 countries. It became popular when the Spaniards colonized different countries in the Americas. Today, it has 483 million native speakers. There is a different version of the tongue in every country where it is spoken.

It belongs to the Romance branch of the Indo-European family. It originated from the Vulgar Latin in the Iberian Peninsula, the location of modern-day Spain. As a result, the vocabulary of the vernacular has been heavily influenced by Latin. However, there are also plenty of Spanish words of Arabic origin. The detail of the vocabulary can be read in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, which is tasked with regulating the tongue.

The English Language:

English is the lingua franca of the world of today. It may not have the highest number of native speakers in the world, but it is spoken and understood by billions of people. You can find speakers of English in every country of the world. You can use it to communicate with those who speak a vernacular different than yours. Millions of people study the tongue every day. It also has multiple versions and dialects but in their simplest forms, they are all mutually intelligible. It enjoys official status in more than 60 independent states. It has influenced thousands of other tongues.

You can find thousands of English-based technology-related words and common slang being used by those who speak different vernaculars. Popular culture has also affected the basic vocabulary of people. Popular technical acronyms of today are all in this vernacular. The most popular dictionary of this tongue is published and reviewed by the Oxford printing press. The Oxford dictionary is the most extensive record of the English vocabulary. It can even help you with your everyday writing and common texts.

How Are New Words Added to a Language?

The vocabulary of a major language or any language for that matter is an ever-expanding thing. There is no limit to the number of terms that can be used in everyday conversations. When there is no term to describe a special emotion or feeling, a person can invent a new one. Hence, we get a larger vocabulary. Slangs are proof that new terms can be added to a language family. A slang can even turn into a well-known internet meme. When these terms become common, they rarely go out of use. Even if a word stops being part of the everyday vernacular of people, it remains in the dictionary forever.

The influence of culture and other languages also affects the word count of a tongue. Many Spanish words are commonly spoken in the United States. The names of food items also become common everywhere. Even if we don’t know the meaning of a foreign word, it gets added to our speech more often than not.

Every modern vernacular is constantly expanding. We are discovering new things every day, which is why we also have to create new words to name them. It isn’t just the technology that has made so much progress. We have made tremendous progress in every industry. There are not only new machines for us to use but also new methods of conducting business or treating patients, and of course, a new technical term comes to light every day.

How Many Words Does a Person know?

Language acquisition is a very beautiful thing. A child learns his first word, he learns more from his peers and the journey continues. Linguists think that people keep on learning new words until middle age. But they also think that the growth of human vocabulary stops at middle age. However, the way the internet contributes to our vernacular, people of any age can learn new terms.

The total words a person knows vary depending on various factors. For instance, someone with college-level education would know more words than those who didn’t study in college. The vernacular we speak also affects our vocabulary size. For instance, the Turkish language has 150,000 words, whereas Mandarin has 370,000 words. So, the speakers of either vernacular have access to a different number of words. As a result, a Chinese citizen might know more words than someone from Turkey.

There is no agreement among authorities when it comes to the definitions of words. As a result, we can’t always be certain about the total number of words we know. However, multiple tests can give a somewhat exact answer about our vocabulary. It is important to remember that regional vocabulary also matters. The people of different areas will know different words even if they speak the same vernacular.

Which language has more words, English or Spanish?

If you are planning on learning Spanish, then you shouldn’t be asking how many words are there in the Spanish language because that’s not the approach you should take. However, it is okay if you are just curious about the word count and won’t let it affect your learning process. The best source for checking the number of words of a tongue is a dictionary. However, not all dictionaries are comprehensive. Some of them only list the most common terms so they can add sample sentences to help learners. Some focus too much on derivates or words that have gone out of use. Some dictionaries only focus on a particular industry. The basic purpose of a dictionary is to provide definitions to people, which is why it can be very useful for learners.

When it comes to English, the most comprehensive and largest dictionary is published by the Oxford University Press. |English is known to have the biggest vocabulary of all time. The Oxford dictionary lists all the native English words and their meanings. Many slang words have made an entry into the Oxford dictionary in recent years as an active vocabulary. Merriam Webster is another popular source for checking English words and their meanings. It has an online version that not only includes typical words but also some complex terms and acronyms related to different fields. Currently, the Oxford dictionary has 273,000 entries. Out of these entries, 171,476 words are currently in use by speakers of the English language. More than forty-seven thousand words have become obsolete now.

The Spanish dictionary published by the Royal Academy of Spain contains 93,000 words. This is a lot less than various other European and Asian vernaculars. However, slang words are very common among those who speak Spanish. There are various words commonly used outside Spain that have become a part of the everyday vocabulary of the people. But one thing is certain that English has more words than Spanish.

How to Improve Your Vocabulary?

The more words you know, the more confident you will feel about expressing yourself. An active vocabulary will not only help you in your private life but also in your professional life. Luckily, we don’t have to stop the learning process after leaving college. We can keep on learning new words whenever we want. Enhancing your vocabulary is an individual person’s own choice, they can choose to learn forever.

If you want to improve your average vocabulary, here are some tips to help you:

• Create lists to familiarize yourself with new words. You can revisit the lists in your free time and memorize a new word every day.
• Consult current editions of dictionaries so you don’t miss out on the latest words. This way, you will be able to speak the latest vernacular.
• Turn to additional resources whenever you can. The internet has given us the option to acquire as much knowledge as we want, so, make the most of it.
• Work on your native language before you can learn a second vernacular.
• Learn different verb forms so you never have to face any problem while making sentences.
• Read complex text like the privacy policy of a company to learn about new words.
• If you want to learn one of the modern languages, check out their cognates. For instance, as an English speaker, you might already know a lot of Spanish cognates. Similarly, if you want to improve your Arabic vocabulary, you can use an explanatory dictionary.
• Use different techniques like spaced repetition to learn forms of verbs and compound words.
• Read blog posts written by experienced writers every day to keep yourself informed about the latest happenings while also improving your already active vocabulary.