Xeme is a bird or a bucket or a bison or a butterfly. Which is it?
You're quite right: it's a bird, a fork-tailed gull. Your vocabulary is
obviously impressive - but is it good enough? How many words do you know?
The tests that follow - scientifically devised by experienced
educationalists and philologists and developed and refined over a period
of years - will tell you accurately the size of your vocabulary. Ten
independent tests follow. In each test, every word you know stands for 600
words in your general vocabulary. If you get 30 words right out of 60,
your vocabulary is about 30 x 600 = 18,000 words.
Average your results for as many of the ten tests as you care to take. The
more tests you complete the more accurate the average will be.
What do your score and size of vocabulary signify?
LEVEL 1: 0 - 6,000 WORDS.
Most of those who score from 0 through 10 out of 60 are children aged 6
through 9. Others include older backward children, illiterate adults, or
adults with serious dyslexic, or other compounded problems.
LEVEL 2: 6,600 - 12,000 WORDS.
A score of 11 to 20 out of 60 is usually attained at age 10 or later.
Those who reach it at age 10 are likely to score 40 or more out of 60 as
adults. About 25 percent of adults have vocabularies no greater than
12,000 words.
LEVEL 3: 12,600 - 18,000 WORDS.
Among adults, this score of 21 through 30 out of 60 is the most common
range. In the range 12,600 - 15,000 are most of the adults who left school
as soon as the law would let them; they have done hardly any reading
since. In the range 15,600 - 18,000 are many adults who left school early
but continued with some reading or are involved in jobs that involve
language skills, such as secretarial work.
An 18 year old who intends to get further education should have reached
the top of this range.
LEVEL 4: 18,600 - 24,000 WORDS.
Adults with little or no college education may get 31 through 40 out of
60 right if they have maintained a keen interest in what is going on in
the world, plus a wide range of reading. Most college graduates are in
this range, and so are the members of most of the professions.
LEVEL 5: 24,600 - 30,000 WORDS.
Men and women in this range (41 through 50 out of 60 right) are well
educated and do a lot of reading. They are in the top echelons of their
profession, or are heading that way.
LEVEL 6: 30,600 - 36,000 WORDS.
The few who fall into this category (51 through 60 out of 60 right) do not
necessarily achieve more in their professions than those at level 5. At
this level, the tests become more an intellectual game than an important
scientific measurement.
For a reliable result, I can offer the steps I took when doing this test:
1. Print this page out to do the test at your leisure,
2. Leaving the words you know the meanings of without a doubt,
put a small question mark against the ones you're not sure of.
Those that you don't know the meaning of with certainty cross
them out immediately.
3. Then as best as you can, write down the meanings of those you
weren't sure of but you think may know.
4. Find a quite weekend or weeknight to visit a library with
extensive dictionaries (The Oxford English Dictionary is 20
volumes and the Webster's Unabridged dictionary is also another
example that comes to mind).
5. Check your definitions against the dictionary definitions, and
mark yourself according to whether you were mostly right, or
nowhere near the real thing.
6. Now you can add up your known words for each test, and average
your score over the ten tests.
Finally, if you wish to be listed on The Great List of Literati then fill out the form at the bottom of this page with your score and details.
TEST 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 abroad abandon abridge binoculars ballot aggregate daily chaos bivouac expedition contraband chronology horizon excavate credulous jangle fatigue hireling limit laboratory indolent pattern manual meagre rate purchase nomadic stroke shuttle occidental level 4 level 5 level 6 abhorrent abscissa abulia amorphous badinage bicuspid crustacean cartel caracole declivity daemon chalybeate emaciated dendrite croton fabrication exordium dysphoria galaxy inchoate gazebo heretical moraine kymograph igneous rubric ortolan nomenclature soutane quadrat TEST 2 Level 1 level 2 level 3 alter beverage biography barometer cardinal decarbonize distinct demolish domicile festival graph facet hardship humdrum impunity harpoon impulsive lore matinee memorial mercenary reign parallel phantasm report terminate restive waste vivacious taboo level 4 level 5 level 6 actuate antimony antonomasia bravura carronade cartouche comber dithyrambic dorter gouache hebdomadal elvan hieroglyphic infusoria filemot hybrid linage isomer iconoclast medusa lasher maelstrom myrmidon noumenon muezzin paradigm pulvinate resurgent topology velleity TEST 3 level 1 level 2 level 3 explosion fledgling cosmopolitan impatient hatchet diverge kangaroo impact interpose pirate javelin lateral prowl landlubber niche referee novelist porous slant primitive rampant solo renown territory unique tradition voodoo waste urban yeoman level 4 level 5 level 6 ecology asymptotic bisque laconic burlap colporteur linden echidna decuman maxilla henry grallatorial paragon interfacial isomorphous prolixity jeton orc redolent paregoric parataxis stertorous rachitic rivi�re timbre tanager tanagra vellum syncretism urticant TEST 4 level 1 level 2 level 3 ballad abyss adaptable canoe bale capsule external canyon daub icicle exterminate embargo lame instrument gargoyle magazine lizard justify martyr obvious liberate mass password memento patriot rhythm naturalize patrol stoppage oblivion level 4 level 5 level 6 calculus aclinic Babbittry debouch banshee calumet gargantuan illation dehiscent ibid. keelson gault laissez-faire lachrymal hypocaust literati martingale kenosis neurology newton knap obloquy occipital limnology patois petrology mithridatism rabid ratline unau TEST 5 level 1 level 2 level 3 belfry besiege aquiline bulge bronze botanist outlaw gorge captious package import furtive pillar judo initiate rental ledger jaded riddle limpet kaleidoscope shellfish penetrate limerick vanish resort mutual varnish warbler strategem level 4 level 5 level 6 aurochs bergamot ablegate beriberi brevier algorism cornice deemster baltimore denary homologous bezel gratuitous lamina leat hertz largo mittimus hiatus pantheon myosotis medial refulgence peneplain teredo savory prunella valetudinarian triolet windlestraw TEST 6 level 1 level 2 level 3 anthill absurd acoustics climate collapse bicker container entire bison endeavor generation centripetal immediately immigrate emancipation jingle jealous garbled outcast mature lichen rhyme raid mattock signal satellite outshine tank slipshod perimeter level 4 level 5 level 6 botulism chamfer champlev� cutaneous eschatology deadlight datum giaour enchiridion distrait imprest geodic encyclical lapidate jokul gamma nadir laches lacerate oblate maud mandate samphire pedicular martinet satrap spandrel nacelle ukase vavasor TEST 7 level 1 level 2 level 3 humbug autobiography alloy ivy corrugated brevity legend extinct deportation magnet gladiator hinterland nickname deputy inscrutable probably hooligan lineage ripple lanky mucilage situation magistrate omen tattoo nozzle persecute theatre offend repertoire level 4 level 5 level 6 agoraphobia animism acarpous barograph boulevardier chanterelle concatenation canticle demersal demography homophone eclampsia hierarchy lammergeier gonfalon iceblink mangonal jeofail megrim natterjack orris olfactory Paleozoic pyx radian peignoir ret risotto reticle sachem TEST 8 level 1 level 2 level 3 badger brewer breaker capture charity cumbersome fresh generosity detention hiss idol fumigate ironmonger lathe humane ladle orderly juggernaut mermaid orient kayak parade quest lineal rear rowlock objective swindle summit sorcery level 4 level 5 level 6 chicanery ablaut chibouk gravamen belvedere disembogue holocaust dimity gemmule lethargic gelation idolum monograph homeopathy lasque pinnace morpheme oroide ramify pis aller quintan scrutineer psephology rampion tangential regulus scammony unction sawder sullage TEST 9 level 1 level 2 level 3 batter barbed dabble chest chemistry exhaustive engineer exception filtrate funnel fascinating garnish horn gibberish indifferent mean hydrogen kaiser outrun Latin metronome pickax microscope naive remove shield patronize search suburb reinforce (Note: pickax is not the way I would've spelt it, but that's the way it is in the list) level 4 level 5 level 6 b�tise aper�u crucian clamant bleb deuteragonist dirigible decorticate encaustic epitome gauss hoveler histrionic involute immortelle logarithm lambent limpkin panegyric peculation mort rowel recidivist peen simoom semiotics regelate stricture speculum sandiver TEST 10 level 1 level 2 level 3 battery crag bristling carnation dwindling devious drowsy easterly entangle forecast hilt mere guilty impetuous precipitous jellyfish instinct scurvy mention pike summons pathless regulation territorial result verge unkempt screen warehouse vindicate level 4 level 5 level 6 burnous catchpole calamary cadenza Greek calends eparch debenture Heaviside layer fleury flense ichor grangerize franklin jussive jacobus habergeon limen levigate ignis fatuus nescience marshalsea jocund obi narthex mutability panhandle, n. obol napoleon ramose tetterwort Source: The Joy Of Lex, Gyles Brandreth
Thanks to the following people who pointed out the following spelling errors or typo's:
Steven Schuessler;
Was: Changed to: iconaclast iconoclast satelite satellite simoon simoom Palezoic Paleozoic
Robert N Seitz 1/5/99;
Was: Changed to: Sandever Sandiver Quodrat Quadrat
Walter de Wit 16/12/99;
Was: Changed to: Infusoira Infusoria
Michael Hess 16/03/2000;
Not part of the test but in the paragraph beginning with "Comments:..." I had once again mis-spelt 'gauge' as 'guage' (sic).
Andrew Fowler 27/01/2001;
Was: Changed to: grallotorial grallatorial
Helen Foisy 24/07/2001;
Not part of the test but part of these acknowledgments, see above in this section: Helen kindly pointed out that I couldn't even get my acknowledgments right:) Was: Changed to: typo's typos
If your browser does not have forms capability, you may e-mail the above information to: me. Don't forget to include full name, score, date test taken, and whether you want your email address linked or not.
You may also wish to try the Schmies vocabulary test found on Darryl's Uncommonly Difficult I.Q. Tests page.
P.s. If you didn't do well don't take it to heart. In my unqualified opinion, though a functional vocab is essential to communicate your ideas and is the crucial lubricant in the transposition of your other abilities, it doesn't automatically mean that if you scored low on this vocabulary test that you cannot communicate effectively. One can still be a highly effective communicator without at all requiring or resorting to any archaic words. Words that (in many cases) your selective audience may not know and understand anyway. oooOOO-0-OOOooo
Some humorous definitions:
Thesaurus, n.. A dictionary of mostly extinct words.
"Dictionary, n. A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of language and making it hard and inelastic. The present dictionary, however, is one of the most useful works that its author, Dr John Satan, has ever produced. It is designed to be a compendium of everything that is known up to the date of its completion, and will drive a screw, repair a red wagon or apply for a divorce. It is a good substitute for measles, and will make rats come out of their holes to die. It is a dead shot for worms, and children will cry for it." --- Ambrose Bierce
Language: A living, breathing, constantly changing tool of communication of a people.
"Language, n. The music with which we charm the serpents guarding another's treasure." --- Ambrose Bierce
"Lexicographer, n. A pestilent fellow, who
under the pretence of recording some particular stage in the development
of a language, does what he can to arrest its growth, stiffen
its flexibility and merchandise its methods. For your lexicographer,
having written his dictionary, comes to be considered 'as one
having authority', whereas his function is only to make a record,
not to give law. The natural servility of the human understanding
having invested him with judicial power, surrenders its right
of reason and submits iteslf to a chronicle as if it were a statue.
Let the dictionary (for example) mark a good word as 'obsolete'
or 'obsolescent' and few men thereafter venture to use it, whatever
their need of it and however desirable its restoration to favour
- whereby the process of impoverishment is accelerated and speech
decays. On the contrary, the bold and discerning writer who, recognising
the truth that language must grow by innovation if it grow at
all, makes new words and uses the old in an unfamiliar sense,
has no following and is tartly reminded that 'it isn't in the
dictionary' - although down to the time of the first lexicographer
(Heaven forgive him!) no author had used a word that was
in the dictionary. In the golden prime and high noon of English
speech; when from the lips of the great Elizabethans fell words
that made their own meaning and carried it in their very sound;
when a Shakespeare and a Bacon were possible, and the other was
in vigorous growth and hardy preservation - sweeter than honey
and stronger than a lion - lexicgropher was a person unknown,
the dictionary which his Creator had not created him to create.
--- Ambrose Bierce.
God said: 'Let Spirit perish into Form,' And lexicographers arose, a swarm! Thought fled and left her clothing, which they took, And catalogued each garment in a book. Now, from her leafy covert when she cries: 'Give me my clothes and I'll return, 'they rise And scan the list, and say without compassion: 'Excuse us - they are mostly out of fashion.' --- Sigismund Smith.
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