szókészleti

Szókészleti is a Hungarian term used in linguistics to describe the vocabulary of a language user or of a language as a whole. The noun szókészlet denotes the collection or inventory of words that a person knows and can use, while the adjective szókészleti refers to things related to this lexical repertoire. In practice, researchers distinguish the size, composition, and usability of a person’s szókészlet, including how active and passive components are organized.

A common distinction in the study of szókészlet is between aktív szókészlet and passzív szókészlet. The aktív szókészlet comprises words that a speaker can readily retrieve and use in speech and writing, whereas the passzív szókészlet contains words that are recognized and understood but not frequently produced. Other concepts tied to szókészlet include szókincs, a synonymous or overlapping term for vocabulary, and szókészleti gazdagság, which refers to lexical richness or diversity.

Szókészleti size and quality are influenced by language exposure, literacy, education, and practice. In pedagogy and second-language acquisition, focus on expanding the szókészlet is central, using methods such as reading, targeted vocabulary instruction, and spaced repetition. Researchers may estimate szókészleti size through standardized tests, corpus-based analyses, or qualitative assessments of lexical variety.

Overall, szókészleti describes the lexical resources of a speaker or a language system, encompassing how many words are known, how they are organized, and how readily they can be used in communication. See also szókincs and lexical studies in Hungarian linguistics.