Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Smith  To Tdol & MikeNewYork!
So an average native speaker has a vocabulary of about 10-15000 words, doesn't he? Saying vocabulary I mean his active words which he always carries in mind.  |
I can live with that estimate, particularly for the lower end of native speakers. The higher end is anybody's guess. I knew Tony Randall, the actor. He was one of the most well-spoken men I have ever talked with. He was on the usage panel of American Heritage Dictionary. Speaking with him was an endless vocabulary lesson.