Advanced English word test by Vivian Cook

How Many words do you know?

Advanced Words Tests

This tests the size of your vocabulary by seeing how many of the least frequent words in the language you know – the more frequent ones are tested in the Basic Words Test (A-E levels). Complete the definitions; all the spaces are the same size so they do not give clues to the number of letters. Then check your answers and fill in the profile below. Give up when it becomes just guessing – few people get near the end The Advanced Words Test cover the words in the BNC from the most frequent 20000 up to the 150000+ level. Complete the definitions. The OED has been checked to make certain of their existence.

Section F The 50,0000 word level

1. a chemical for killing unwanted insects etc is a
p

2. something which forms a single whole is a
u

3. to spell something out in detail is to
a

4. a white metallic element is
b

5. one kind of Italian-derived sausage is a
s

6. a heavy glass with a handle is known as a
t

7. a type of brain chemical is
s

8. the account of a recently dead person’s life is their
o

9. a channel in the ground made by water is a
g

10. a distinctive group of people in North East Spain are
C

Section G The 100,000 word level

11. something to do with the skull is

12. a hooded Indian snake is a

13. a place where many troops live together is a

14. interwoven rods and laths make a building material called

15. a two-masted, strongly-built boat is a

16. a sailor’s word for a clumsy fellow is a

17. the effects of wind, rain etc on objects is

18. a fish that breathes air as well as water is a

19. a person of high rank is a

20. a person who speaks only one language is a

Section H The 150,000 word level

21. a small kind of French cake is a

22. a person who shaves off small pieces of wood is a

23. the three wise men from the east were the

24. something to do with the skin is

25. the main force of an attack is the

26. a sandy hollow on a golf-course is a

27. a tropical disease, seldom fatal, is

28. a member of a Hungarian military force is a

29. a Roman officer who acts as commander is a

30. in days of old a person who kept an inn was a

Section I the 150,000 plus word level

31. a person who reports proceedings of a group to another group is a

32. a million-millionth of a second is a

33. a severe setback in the economy is a

34. a baby that still lives on milk is

35. a person who is legally able to vote is

36. a heavy wheel used to store power is a

37. something engraved on stone is

38. when a car shakes violently it

39. a small kind of bat is a

40. an African freshwater fish often found in aquaria is a

Right answers to Advanced Words Tests

Level F

1. pesticide 2. unity 3. articulate 4. barium 5. salami 6. tankard 7. serotonin 8. obituary 9. gully 10. Catalans

Level G

11. cranial 12. cobra 13. garrison 14. wattling 15. ketch 16. lubber 17. weathering 18. lungfish 19. grandee 20. monolingual

Level H

21. madeline 22. whittler 23. magi 24. dermal 25. brunt 26. bunker 27. dengue 28. jhonved 29. proconsul 30. taverner

Level I

31. rapporteur 32. picosecond 33. recession 34. unweaned 45. enfranchised 36. flywheel 37. lapidary 38. judders 39. pipistrelle 40. tilapia

Gauging your vocabulary size

Now click on a button for your score in each column of the following chart. This should show how many words you know at each level. Usually you will get a curve going down towards the right. The size of your vocabulary is the last level at which you score above 5.

E.g. if the last click over 5 is 6 in column G and H & I are 3 & 2, your maximum vocabulary is 100 thousand words. Note: this is pnly one of the ways of estimating vocabulary size.

Bands	F	G	H	I
Frequency	à50,000	à100,000	à150,000	150,000à
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0