--- title: How many words do I need to know in order to speak English fluently? description: Fluency is hard to define because everyone has their own idea about it. For example, when people say they want to speak English fluently, they may mean that they want to speak like a native, or they might just be saying that they want to be able to travel comfortably through places where their target language is spoken and have basic conversations about everyday topics with locals. image: https://blog.approachusa.org/hubfs/Wordpress%20Banner%20(33).png --- - [Contact Us](https://approachusa.org/contact-us/) - [Apply Now](https://approachusa.org/application-form-2/) Menu - [Programs of Study](https://approachusa.org/programs-of-study/) - [English as a Second Language (ESL)](https://approachusa.org/esl/) - [Test Preparation (TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, SAT)](https://approachusa.org/testprep/) - [Advanced Programs](https://approachusa.org/speccialty-programs/) - [ESL Teen Culture Program](https://approachusa.org/youth-programs/) - [Student Services](https://approachusa.org/student-services-2/) - [Join our Community](https://pages.approachusa.org/approachusa-community) - [Blog](https://blog.approachusa.org/) - [Academic & Career Advising](https://approachusa.org/academicadvising/) - [Student Activities](https://approachusa.org/academic-activities/) - [Students’ Success Stories](https://approachusa.org/students-success-stories/) - [Housing](https://approachusa.org/student-services/) - [Admissions](https://pages.approachusa.org/en-us/our-programs-usa) - [Apply from Abroad](https://pages.approachusa.org/applying-from-abroad) - [Tuition and Fees](https://pages.approachusa.org/tuition-and-fees) [![Approach International Student Center®](https://blog.approachusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Approach_USA_April2021/images/header_logo.png?height=500&name=header_logo.png "Approach International Student Center®")](https://approachusa.org/) - Call us today **[+1 617 787 5401](https://wa.me/16177875401)** - Email us **[admissions@approachusa.com](mailto:admissions@approachusa.com)** ![](https://blog.approachusa.org/hubfs/Wordpress%20Banner%20(33).png) # How many words do I need to know in order to speak English fluently? Published by [Matt Andrewes](https://blog.approachusa.org/author/matt-andrewes) on Aug 31, 2021 5:35:50 PM Some of you out there may be wondering “How many words do I really need to know in order to speak English fluently?” Much of how you answer this question depends on how you define *fluency*. So following that line of thinking, I will begin by identifying three kinds of fluency, then discuss what various sources say about the number of words required for these levels of fluency, and finally, end with three ideas about how to efficiently learn vocabulary.  ![Wordpress Banner (35)](https://blog.approachusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Wordpress%20Banner%20(35).png?width=2744&name=Wordpress%20Banner%20(35).png) - **Defining fluency** Fluency is hard to define because everyone has their own idea about it. For example, when people say they want to speak English fluently, they may mean that they want to speak like a native, or they might just be saying that they want to be able to travel comfortably through places where their target language is spoken and have basic conversations about everyday topics with locals. For practical purposes, however, we’ll imagine that fluency falls into the three categories suggested by Sagar-Fenton and McNeill (2018): (1) fluency for everyday or basic conversations, (2) fluency for movies/series, and (3) fluency for reading articles in newspapers or magazines.  - **Minimum number of words for each kind required for each kind of fluency** In 2017, Browne and Culligan produced the New General Service List for Spoken English (NGSL-S). They claim that their list of only 721 words provides 90% coverage of everyday spoken English. Whether 90% coverage is sufficient for fluency in basic conversations isn’t certain, but according to Foer (2012), knowing the 1,000 most common words is “just enough to let you hit the ground running once you’re authentically immersed in the language”. In other words, you can survive in a foreign country in the target language with just those 1,000 words. And based on my personal experience using the language learning program Pimsleur for Portuguese, Spanish and Japanese, I believe these 1,000 words are more than enough for you to not just converse but flourish in everyday conversations, provided you get enough conversation practice. For more advanced kinds of fluency such as for movies/series, or for reading newspaper/magazine articles far more words are needed.  Sagar-Fenton and McNeill (2018) state that movies/series require at least 3,000 words, while news/magazine articles need a whopping 8,000 to 9,000.  - **How to learn vast amounts of vocabulary** In order to learn vast amounts of vocabulary efficiently, you need to do at least two things, but I’m providing a third just for good measure:  1. Learn words according to frequency. To do this, check out Paul Nation’s [word lists](https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/paul-nations-resources/vocabulary-lists); scroll down to ‘The BNC/COCA headword Lists’ section to find them.  2. Use spaced repetition. There are apps like Memrise and Anki to help you do this, but if you’re a nerd like me and want to learn more about spaced repetition and why it’s awesome, check out College Info Geek’s video [*The Most Powerful Way to Remember What You Study*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVajQPuRmk8).  3. Watch Benny Lewis’s TedX Talk on [rapid language hacking](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZqUeWshwMs). Benny’s an Irish polyglot who talks about how he learns languages and at around 9:40 in the TedX Talk, he explains the technique that he uses to learn tons of words.  Hope you have found this helpful and interesting, and if you’d like me to write about something else, please let me know. You can email me at [mjhandrewes@gmail.com](mailto:mjhandrewes@gmail.com).      **References** Browne, C. & Culligan, B. (2017, October 28). *New General Service List-Spoken 1.2 (NGSL-S)*. New General Service List Project. [http://www.newgeneralservicelist.org/ngsls](http://www.newgeneralservicelist.org/ngsls)    Foer, J. (2012, November 9). How I learned a language in 22 hours. *The Guardian*. [https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/09/learn-language-in-three-months](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/09/learn-language-in-three-months)  Sagar-Fenton, B. & McNeill, L. (2018, June 24). How many words do you need to speak a language? *BBC News*. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-44569277](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-44569277)   --- Jump into your language learning now with our ["Ultimate Guide to Learn English Fast"](https://blog.approachusa.org/how-to-learn-english-fast) [Back to Blog](https://blog.approachusa.org) ## Related Articles ## [What worked for me when I was learning English?](https://blog.approachusa.org/what-worked-for-me-when-i-was-learning-english) Brazil isn’t really known for being a bilingual country. According to British Council, only 5% of... [Read More](https://blog.approachusa.org/what-worked-for-me-when-i-was-learning-english) ## [What worked for me when I was learning English?](https://blog.approachusa.org/what-worked-for-me-when-i-was-learning-english-1) Brazil isn’t really known for being a bilingual country. According to British Council, only 5% of... [Read More](https://blog.approachusa.org/what-worked-for-me-when-i-was-learning-english-1) ## [Tips for Learning English at Any Level](https://blog.approachusa.org/tips-for-learning-english-at-any-level) Learning a new language is an incredible adventure. It’s full of discoveries, delights, and hours... [Read More](https://blog.approachusa.org/tips-for-learning-english-at-any-level) ##### About Us Approach International Student Center is a well-established English language school located in Allston, MA, only 5 minutes away from Boston – one of the most dynamic student centers in the world. Surrounded by great colleges and universities such as Harvard University, MIT, Boston University (BU), and Boston College, we teach over 900 students every month ranging from 12 to 70+ years old. ##### Reach Us Boston: 196 Harvard Ave. #2 Allston, MA 02134 USA Marlborough: 11 Apex Dr B Office 101B, Marlborough, MA 01752 USA Phone: +1 617 787 5401 [admissions@approachusa.com](mailto:admissions@approachusa.com) - [Programs of Study](https://approachusa.org/programs-of-study/) - [English as a Second Language (ESL)](https://approachusa.org/esl/) - [Test Preparation (TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, SAT)](https://approachusa.org/testprep/) - [Advanced Programs](https://approachusa.org/speccialty-programs/) - [ESL Teen Culture Program](https://approachusa.org/youth-programs/) - [Student Services](https://approachusa.org/student-services-2/) - [Join our Community](https://pages.approachusa.org/approachusa-community) - [Blog](https://blog.approachusa.org/) - [Academic & Career Advising](https://approachusa.org/academicadvising/) - [Student Activities](https://approachusa.org/academic-activities/) - [Students’ Success Stories](https://approachusa.org/students-success-stories/) - [Housing](https://approachusa.org/student-services/) - [Admissions](https://pages.approachusa.org/en-us/our-programs-usa) - [Apply from Abroad](https://pages.approachusa.org/applying-from-abroad) - [Tuition and Fees](https://pages.approachusa.org/tuition-and-fees) © Copyright Approach International Student Center, Inc. 2026 All Rights Reserved [Privacy Policy](https://approachusa.org/privacy-policy/)