How many words do Spanish speakers use?

Although Spanish has tens of thousands of words, the average person actively uses between 3,000 and 5,000 words in their daily life. This is called active vocabulary, as it refers to the set of words that speakers regularly use when speaking or writing. On the other hand, there is passive vocabulary, which refers to words that a person understands but does not use frequently. This set of words can reach 20,000 or more.

Likewise, speakers who specialize in specific fields, such as doctors, engineers, or writers, tend to have a broader lexicon due to their professional field. Thus, depending on the speaker's level of education, reading, age, and sociocultural environment, passive vocabulary can be broader, up to 25,000 words.

For example, a university student usually has a richer and more extensive vocabulary than a primary school child. Meanwhile, someone who regularly reads novels, newspapers, or essays will enrich their vocabulary more than someone who does not read daily. Professionals in specific fields also use additional technical vocabulary that is not part of everyday language.

In addition, it is important to note that many speakers know regional words or localisms, which can vary between countries or regions. For example, the word “computadora” in Mexico and “ordenador” in Spain. These are two different words, but they have the same meaning, and their use varies only according to the geographical area of the speaker. These differences further enrich the global vocabulary of Spanish as a language and make the number of words in Spanish increasingly broad and extensive.

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Have you ever wondered how many words are there in the Spanish language? As a student of this language, curiosity has surely struck you during your classes. And one of the most frequently asked questions by students, beyond vocabulary and grammar, is how many words there are in Spanish. Discover it with don Quijote!

You can read this article in Spanish too.

Is it difficult to find out how many words are in Spanish?

The answer is simple: yes. It can be difficult to establish an exact number of words in Spanish, as there are many variants of the language in different countries, and each one has its own expressions, idioms, and vocabulary. In addition, new words are constantly being created due to technological advances, social media, and cultural adaptations. Not to mention that there are words in Spanish that are no longer in use but can still be found in dictionaries and ancient texts, even though they are no longer used daily.

So, although it is not easy to determine exactly how many words are there in the Spanish language, it is possible to make a very rough estimate. It should be borne in mind that Spanish as a language is constantly evolving, with new words being added to the dictionary every year and many others becoming obsolete.

According to the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española or RAE), the Dictionary of the Spanish Language (DLE) currently includes more than 93,000 words. However, this figure does not represent the entire vocabulary, as it does not include regionalisms, technical terms, Spanish slang, and neologisms that are not officially accepted.

Therefore, Spanish is one of the richest languages in terms of vocabulary, with thousands of words recorded in the dictionary. Even so, you may wonder if all these more than 93,000 words are used in everyday Spanish. Here is the answer.

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How many words are in Spanish?

How many words are there in Spanish? If the question how many words are in the Spanish language is on your mind, don Quijote has the answer for you.

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Democracy and contemporary literature to the present day

With the transition to democracy in the 1970s, Spanish literature experienced a period of openness and diversification. Female voices such as Rosa Montero, Soledad Puértolas, Ana María Matute, and Almudena Grandes emerged, bringing new perspectives on history and society.

Novelists such as Javier Marías, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and Antonio Muñoz Molina also emerged, whose works have achieved great international renown. Contemporary narrative is characterized by its variety of styles and themes, from historical novels to urban realism and autofiction.

The history of Spanish literature is a mirror of the country's evolution, its struggles, hopes, and dreams. From the cantares de gesta to contemporary novels, through the Golden Age and the Generation of '98, each era has contributed unique voices that have enriched the language and thought.

With a living and constantly changing tradition, the history of Spanish literature remains an inexhaustible source of discovery and excitement. If you want to learn more about the history of Spanish literature and improve your command of the language so you can read these titles in their original version, don't hesitate to sign up for an intensive Spanish course. don Quijote helps you reach your desired level while you venture out to learn Spanish in Spain. Visit our website and start your journey!

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Romanticism and Realism: emotions and truth

In the 19th century, Spanish literature experienced two major trends: Romanticism, which gave prominence to emotions, and Realism, which focused on faithfully representing social reality.

Among the Romantics, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer stands out with his “Rimas y leyendas”, a short but influential work due to its lyricism and melancholic tone. José de Espronceda, author of “El estudiante de Salamanca” and “El diablo mundo”, also stood out for his rebelliousness and expressive power.

Realism brought authors such as Benito Pérez Galdós, who masterfully portrayed Madrid society in novels such as “Fortunata y Jacinta” and “Episodios nacionales”. Alongside him, Leopoldo Alas “Clarín” wrote “La Regenta”, one of the best novels of the 19th century.

The Generation of '98 and '27: crisis and innovation

After the loss of the last colonies in 1898, a generation of writers emerged marked by a crisis of national identity. The Generation of '98 reflected on Spain from a critical and existential perspective with authors such as Miguel de Unamuno, Pío Baroja, Azorín, and Antonio Machado.

Shortly afterwards, in the 1920s and 1930s, the Generation of '27 emerged, with figures such as Federico García Lorca, Rafael Alberti, Luis Cernuda, and Pedro Salinas. These authors combined tradition and avant-garde, taking poetry to new aesthetic heights.

One of the most renowned authors in the history of Spanish literature is Federico García Lorca. Remembered as much for his poetry as for his theater, Lorca portrayed pain, injustice, and beauty in his works. His best-known titles are “Bodas de sangre” and “La casa de Bernarda Alba”.

Exile and post-war literature

After the Spanish Civil War, many writers went into exile or suffered censorship under Franco. Among the exiles were Max Aub, Ramón J. Sender, and María Zambrano. Within Spain, literature became more introspective and symbolic, as in the work of Camilo José Cela, author of “La Colmena”, and Carmen Laforet with “Nada”.

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The Golden Age: literary splendor

Let’s continue with the Golden Age, which spans from the end of the 16th century to the 17th century. This was one of the most brilliant moments in Spanish literature. Here we find some of the greatest and most renowned authors in the history of Spanish literature.

The most universal is undoubtedly Miguel de Cervantes, author of “Don Quixote”, considered the first modern novel and one of the most important works of world literature. With a mixture of humor, social criticism, and philosophical depth, Cervantes presents us with an unforgettable portrait of the human condition.

In poetry, Luis de Góngora shines with his culteranista style, full of metaphors and formal complexity, and Francisco de Quevedo, representative of conceptism, with his sharp and satirical poetry.

In theater, the great name is Lope de Vega, who renewed the rules of drama and wrote more than 1,500 plays. His most prominent rival was Calderón de la Barca, author of “La vida es sueño”, a philosophical piece on free will and illusion.

Illustration and Neoclassicism: reason and order

The 18th century brought with it Illustration, a movement that valued reason and education above all else. Spanish literature became more rational and didactic, moving away from Baroque excess.

Notable authors include Benito Jerónimo Feijoo, an essayist who promoted critical thinking, and Leandro Fernández de Moratín, a playwright whose works include “El sí de las niñas”, which criticizes arranged marriages.

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