TL;DR

Extensive reading and listening is the best way to learn vocabulary, not memorization. High-frequency words are useful, but real progress comes from absorbing low-frequency words through interesting content, consistency, and patience.

As language learners, we’re constantly searching for the best ways to learn vocabulary. Acquiring a language is a long, gradual process. Regardless, we still seek shortcuts: We think we can just master the most common words, that learning high-frequency vocabulary is the key to fast fluency. It just isn’t that simple.

Although this sentiment is partly true, it’s quite misleading.

High-frequency words matter, especially at the beginning of your language-learning journey. However, a strong confident level in a language cannot be achieved with high-frequency vocabulary alone. To achieve fluency, you cannot overlook low-frequency words. Often treated as a nuisance, encountering and absorbing low-frequency words lead to real competence and comfort in a language.

Exposure vs. Memorization

I don’t recommend deliberately learning words one by one. Memorizing lists of vocabulary is a dull experience, and your motivation is bound to whither.

Instead, focus on exposure. You don’t learn a language by studying vocabulary. On the contrary, you develop your vocabulary through experience with the language. By reading, listening, and engaging with content, our vocabulary expands naturally over time.

Think about how you learn vocabulary in your first language. You learn new words through reading, listening to a wide variety of content, and interacting with others. Exposure is one of the best ways to learn vocabulary, but it’s also spontaneous. You don’t need to plan which words to learn. As long as you continue to immerse yourself in the language, you’ll acquire vocabulary naturally.

High-Frequency Words: Are They Overrated?

There’s a lot of noise about memorizing high-frequency words. Learn 100 words to grasp half of the language. Unlock fluency with just 2,000 words. These are bold claims, and they’re also inaccurate. Yes, a large percentage of everyday language can be condensed into a list of high-frequency words. This is true. However, actual fluency in a language requires a much larger vocabulary.

What do you want to achieve in your target language? Here’s a list of common goals among language learners.

  • Read real books
  • Follow podcasts and lectures
  • Pursue a topic or field of study in depth
  • Express ideas clearly and precisely
  • Participate in spontaneous conversation

This cannot be achieved through memorizing lists of high-frequency words. It’s through low-frequency words that these tasks become possible.

How to Acquire Low-Frequency Words

High-frequency words take care of themselves. They appear everywhere. If you read or listen to anything at all, you will see them again and again until they stick. How do we acquire low-frequency words? Here are some tips.

  1. Understand that passive vocabulary is progress. As you immerse yourself in the language, your listening and reading comprehension will progress more quickly than your speaking and writing. Embrace this. Comprehension is foundational for effective communication.
  2. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t limit yourself to “easy” material. Content with only high-frequency words tends to be simplified, repetitive, and limited. Richer content promises more interesting ideas and, subsequently, more interesting language.
  3. Prioritize extensive reading. To absorb low-frequency words, you’ll need to read a lot. Read for flow and enjoyment. Pause every now and then to look up a word, but the priority isn’t treasure hunting for words to memorize.

How to Make Extensive Reading Easier

Extensive reading means reading large amounts of material for meaning and enjoyment. In short, you want to read for flow.

That said, extensive reading works best when it is flexible. If you’re reading something more challenging or niche, it’s not realistic to refrain from re-reading a sentence or looking up a word. However, modern tools smoothen the process of reading in another language.

For example, when reading with a platform like LingQ, you can:

  • Instantly look up unknown words
  • Track which words are becoming familiar over time
  • Review vocabulary in context
  • Combine reading with audio

Resources like LingQ simply remove unnecessary friction, allowing you to stay focused on what you’re reading or listening to. The target language should become less of an obstacle and more like a bridge to content that you love.

The Plateau Is Normal (and Necessary)

As your grasp of the language improves and you pursue more challenging content, progress will start to feel slow. The proportion of low-frequency words will increase, and you’ll constantly encounter words that you don’t know. This can be quite discouraging.

This phase is not a failure. It is an essential stage in the process of reaching fluency. As you dive into content full of low-frequency vocabulary, the key is not to fight it, but to accept it.

  1. Enjoy what you can understand.
  2. Use tools (like LingQ) to make material more comprehensible.
  3. Trust the process and stay consistent.

Vocabulary growth is gradual. However, given that you consistently immerse yourself in the language, you’ll acquire vocabulary and a deeper understanding of the target language naturally.

Reinforce passive vocabulary through reading and listening. This knowledge eventually becomes active as you emphasize speaking and writing.

Final Thoughts: Low-Frequency ≠ Inefficient Learning

The best ways to learn vocabulary are not about chasing frequency lists or forcing memorization. We acquire vocabulary through:

  • Experience with the language
  • Reading and listening extensively
  • Accepting ambiguity
  • Building up a knowledge of low-frequency words over time

If you stay persistent, vocabulary growth is inevitable. Expanding your vocabulary isn’t a matter of deliberate effort and memorization, but rather allowing it to happen through consistent immersion.

FAQs

1. How many words do I need to know to be fluent in a language?
There is no fixed number. Fluency isn’t a specific word count, but rather a general familiarity with the language and the ability to communicate fluidly.

2. Should I use flashcards to learn vocabulary?
Flashcards can serve as additional exposure, but they should not replace reading and listening.

3. Is it normal to keep forgetting new words?
Yes. Forgetting is part of the process. You’ll likely need to look up the same word several times in different contexts before it starts to stick. However, you’ll understand the word’s meaning and use it more deeply.

4. Can extensive reading work if I still don’t understand everything?
Understanding everything is not the goal, but you should follow enough to maintain interest and avoid frustration. Challenge yourself appropriately and use tools like LingQ to make difficult material easier to understand.

5. Should I avoid difficult content until I’m more advanced?
No. It’s good to push yourself and align your language learning with areas of genuine interest. Exposing yourself to richer language and low-frequency vocabulary earlier is the right move.