Vocabulary
Helpful articles and tips for learning English and Spanish through reading. Strategies, grammar guides, and vocabulary building.
Words vs expressions: why CEFR needs chunks too
You know the words, freeze on the phrase. CEFR progress needs single words and ready-made chunks. Here is how to notice both and track them while you read.
Build B1 Vocabulary by Reading - Not Endless Lists
Stuck at B1 - lots of words, heavy pages, growing decks? One near-level text, few lookups, few saves, and a 15-20 minute loop grows vocabulary faster than endless lists.
How many Spanish words by CEFR level? What the Plan Curricular says
Wondering if "B2 = 4,000 words" works for Spanish? CEFR is can-do, Plan Curricular is content themes, and map ranges are navigation - not DELE.
Does 5,000 Words Mean You Are at C2?
Your Anki or dashboard hits 5,000 and the brain whispers "C2 done?" Not quite. Here is where that number comes from, why other sites say 10k or 16k, and what to aim for instead.
How to Track Your Vocabulary Progress When Learning a Language
Real vocabulary progress is known items, reading comfort and marks you would still stand by next week. A simple system: a fixed catalogue and a read-and-mark loop.
Lemma vs word form: why your 2000 is not mine
Vocabulary size only makes sense if you know the unit. Three units, English and Spanish examples, and how personal progress on the language map is counted.
How Many Words Do You Need for B2?
For B2, research often points to about 3,250-3,750 frequent lemmas. Here is what that range covers, why estimates differ, and how to grow your vocabulary by reading.
How Many Words for CEFR A1-C2? Honest Vocabulary Ranges
Everyone wants one number per CEFR level. There is no official quota. Here are research-informed ranges for A1-C2, what a "word" even means, and how a free map helps without faking a certificate.
How Many Words to Read Spanish Novels? Coverage First
Apps sell a trophy number. Real research talks coverage and ranges. Here is how many words Spanish novels actually need - and how to test the book in front of you.
Why Writing Every Unknown Word Mid-Reading Kills Motivation
You open a chapter, hit an unknown word, open the notebook, write, then the next unknown. By page three the story is gone. Why mid-reading write-and-forget stalls you, when paper still helps, and a selective mark-and-review loop.
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve: How Spaced Review Helps Vocabulary Stick
You can nail a word list today and lose most of it within a day. What the forgetting curve really shows, and how spaced review plus reading keeps words usable.
Why Context Beats Anki for Spanish Vocabulary
You can pass hundreds of Anki reviews on mesa and still freeze when a waiter asks ¿Qué desea pedir? Here is a context-first path for Spanish vocabulary with realistic monthly ranges.