Vocabulario

Vocabulario is the set of words known and used by a person or by a language community. In linguistics, it is commonly referred to as the lexicon. It includes both active vocabulary, the words we readily use in speech and writing, and passive or receptive vocabulary, the words we recognize but may not produce freely.

Etymology: The term derives from Latin vocabularium, from vocabulum “name or term,” related to vocare “to call.” In Spanish, vocabulario is used to denote either a person’s vocabulary or the vocabulary of a language more generally.

Types and scope: Core or general vocabulary includes common terms used in everyday communication, while specialized or technical vocabulary comprises field-specific terms. A common distinction is between active (productive) vocabulary and receptive (recognition) vocabulary, and between written and spoken usage. Some frameworks also consider a core lexicon and an extended lexicon that grows with exposure.

Measurement and learning: Researchers estimate vocabulary size through tests and reading tasks. A typical educated adult has an active vocabulary in the tens of thousands of words, with larger receptive knowledge. Vocabulary grows through sustained reading and listening, as well as deliberate study using strategies such as spaced repetition, context-based learning, glossaries, and morpheme analysis.

Relevance in language technology: In natural language processing, vocabulary refers to the set of tokens a model can recognize or generate. Tokenization, frequency-based selection, and subword units address issues like out-of-vocabulary words, enabling broader language coverage and more flexible processing. See also lexicon and lexicography.