Photo credit: Owlcation

In every language, 500- 1500 words are used daily in normal conversations while a newspaper uses an average of 600 words daily in active writing.

Beginner: 250-500 words

To have a basic everyday conversation in a new language, you need to know 250- 500 words. In most languages, 500 words are more than enough to get you through any everyday conversations like tourist situations.

Conversational Speaker: 1,000-3,000 words

With a mastery of more than 1000 words, you'll be able to ask people how they are doing, tell them how your day was and be able to get through everyday life activities like shopping and public transit.

Advanced Speaker: 4,000-10,000 words

Getting to know anything beyond the 3,000 words in a second language is considered advanced. You’re are now moving beyond the words that make up a normal conversation and into a specialized vocabulary for talking about your professional field, news and current events, opinions and more elaborate, complex linguistic achievements.

Fluent Speaker:10,000+ words

You are considered fluent in a language if you understand more than 10000 words of the language. You are able to have a detailed discussion of any topic and recognize most of the words used. The ones you don't understand, you can easily infer from context.

Native Speaker: 20000 words

Consider yourself a native speaker if you understand more than 20,000 words in a language. The number varies widely depending on the language. Most native speakers understand more than 20,000 words.

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