There's an organization called the Global Language Monitor (http://www.languagemonitor.com) that claims there will be 1 million English words by this summer. What do you think of this?

The following is a list of links related to that claim.

http://www.slate.com/id/2139611/

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20060402-9999-1c02words.html

http://jokertothethief.blogspot.com/2006/04/how-many-words-in-english-language.html

Tim

The problem with how many words in English is how you define a word. Do you consider regular past tenses and past participles words? How about present tense third person singulars? How about plural forms? How about a term that consists of two or more words? Lastly, how about proper nouns?

For example, is "looked" a separate word? Is "runs" another word? How about "lucky draw", "Down's syndrome" or "acquired immune deficiency syndrome"? Are George, Michael, Judy, Taipei and Kaohsiung words?

The list can go on and on. Generally people just think if you can find it in a dictionary, it is a word. But different dictionaries use different criteria and standards to include or exclude a word. Webster's Third New International Dictionary treats many present tense third singulars, past tenses and past particles as separate words. Even some placenames are treated as words.

Besides, there are more than a million names for plants and animals and even more for chemical names.

So with all I have said so far, how many words are there in English after all?

Tim

Oh wow.... there are so many that I cant count that high or think that high.....Plus there are new words being created every second of every day.... take slang for example is it all in the dictionary. I do not think so but they are words even if I do not understand what the word is or means. Someone knows what it means so it therefore is a word.

Tim can you count that High..

Dave

its an orz of a non-native english speakers.

so often we can't find words / idoms from dictionaries, but these words/exist, ...

and considering words originally from countries like India etc, well, words like veda r in the dictionaries, but how about this word 'satguru',a very common word in my mind?

and ....

no, i dont think there is an answer, it's only possible to give the number for a certain scope.

It's really hard to count how many words there are in English. But it's sure to be in the millions.

Lily, you should be happy that your word satguru is a separate entry in Wikipedia.

Tim

Frankly speaking, I would never count how many words there are in the English language. How to employ those words is much more important.