A large study estimated 6.2k more lemmas at age 60 than at age 20 among native American English speakers.
Research referencePublished 2016-07-29
Full study N = 221,268; the age comparison uses a native-speaker subset. Different word list, not player data.
Shading: published 5th–95th percentile range at age 20 only (27k–52k). The line joins two reported estimates; intermediate ages are not measured points.
View research data & source
Published reference values, 2016
Age
Estimate
5th–95th range
20
42,000
27,000–52,000
60
48,200
Not reported here
Published estimates for native American English speakers. The connecting line is an illustration between two reported ages, not observed annual data. The 27,000–52,000 range applies at age 20 only. Different dictionary and recognition criterion; not a percentile for this test.
Each group needs 100 eligible results, and each chart needs two groups. Until then, the published research above provides context.
How does vocabulary change with age?Gathering results
How do native speakers and learners compare?Gathering results
Where are English learners finding their words?Gathering results
Do frequent readers know more words?Gathering results
What changes with more years of English?Gathering results
A growing picture, with honest limits
These are self-selected test takers, not a representative survey of English speakers. We count the first eligible result per known player, exclude likely automated traffic and shaky results, and compare only the current English test version. Anonymous repeat visits cannot always be recognized.
Every displayed group has at least 100 eligible results. Statistics are refreshed at most every 5 minutes. Optional answers are stored with the result. Only grouped statistics reach this page. The shaded spreads describe differences between players; they are not uncertainty ranges for the median.
Vocabulary is one part of knowing a language. These numbers do not measure intelligence, writing skill or fluency. Read the methods and sources.