English vocabulary size of learners vs. native speakers
The data are based on 54,600 learners and native speakers who took the BRAVE vocabulary test.
A1-C2 are CEFR levels, a common classification of proficiency among language learners. A1-A2 are beginners, B1-B2 — intermediate, C1 — advanced learners, and C2 is supposed to be a native-speaker level (and achieved by very few learners).
Based on the data, a C1 is below the average middle-schooler, and a C2 is at about the level of a college-age native speaker. This is only if we force them onto the same one-dimensional scale, of course, because in reality the composition of their vocabulary is quite different.
Who the respondents are
| Group | N | Median age | Age 10–90% range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native speakers | 23,975 | 27 | 16–48 |
| Learners | 30,655 | — | — |
| A1 | 779 | 23 | 15–39 |
| A2 | 2,395 | 22 | 15–35 |
| B1 | 5,957 | 23 | 16–36 |
| B2 | 8,896 | 24 | 17–37 |
| C1 | 8,614 | 26 | 19–37 |
| C2 | 4,014 | 28 | 20–40 |
Top 5 countries
- Native speakers: United States 65%, United Kingdom 16%, Canada 9%, Australia 7%, Ireland 1%
- A1: Russia 33%, Kazakhstan 11%, The Netherlands 8%, Ukraine 8%, Germany 6%
- A2: Russia 27%, Kazakhstan 12%, Ukraine 11%, The Netherlands 6%, Germany 5%
- B1: Russia 23%, Kazakhstan 10%, Ukraine 10%, The Netherlands 5%, Belarus 5%
- B2: Russia 18%, Ukraine 8%, Kazakhstan 7%, Germany 7%, The Netherlands 5%
- C1: Germany 11%, Russia 11%, The Netherlands 5%, France 5%, Poland 5%
- C2: Germany 13%, The Netherlands 8%, United States 6%, France 5%, United Kingdom 5%
Notes
- The data were collected between November 2025 and August 2026.
- Data were cleaned to remove sessions with low response quality: more than 1 fake item checked, more than 3 multiple-choice follow-up questions answered incorrectly, response time too fast (<40 s) or too slow (>300 s). Only the first attempt per user was retained.
- BRAVE measures receptive vocabulary — words we understand but do not necessarily use ourselves.
- Results are in word families, so related forms such as limit, limitation, and limitless are counted together.
- The CEFR levels were self-reported.