The word journal VocaNum
Explore the indexA little curiosity about language. A clearer understanding of your English.
41 articles to think with, and put into practice.A lasting place to start
Learn what vocabulary-size tests actually count, why different tests give different totals, and how to interpret an English vocabulary estimate without overclaiming.
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Questions, observations, and something to try.
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New questions and lasting ideas. There is more than one way in.
25–36 of 41 articles
Newest firstWhy a familiar English word can suddenly disappear: retrieval failure, interference, context, tip-of-the-tongue states, and what actually helps make access more reliable.
C1 and C2 vocabulary lists can make advanced English look like a collection of rare words. Here is what CEFR levels actually mean, how native-speaker vocabulary varies, and why even native speakers do not know every advanced English word.
Does listening to several speakers help you learn English sounds better than training with one familiar voice? Research on high variability phonetic training suggests that speaker variety can improve speech perception and help learning generalize.
When should you infer an unfamiliar English word from context, and when is checking a dictionary or gloss the better move? Research suggests the best strategy is often to infer first, then verify selectively.
Can watching and reading English teach you grammar without grammar lessons? Research says input matters, but a little direct instruction can make learning faster and clearer.
Updated
Does watching the same English video two or three times help more than always moving on? Research suggests repetition can improve comprehension and vocabulary, but variety still matters.
Does fluent English require thinking only in English? Bilingual processing research shows why mental translation is normal, how it changes with proficiency, and what learners should actually practice.
Should you study happy, glad, and cheerful together? Research on semantic clustering suggests that grouping similar new words can create interference — but the full answer depends on timing, context, and what kind of grouping you use.
You do not need to understand every English word to read successfully. Research on lexical coverage, incidental vocabulary learning, and dictionary use shows when to keep reading and when to look a word up.
Why can your English feel fluent alone and suddenly disappear in a real conversation? Research on foreign-language anxiety, working memory, speaking performance, and accent concerns helps explain the gap.
Reading and listening can both grow your English vocabulary. Here is what the research says about word learning, recall, and multi-word expressions.
Can you learn English while you sleep? Research suggests sleep can strengthen vocabulary learned while awake, but overnight audio is not a shortcut to a new language.