Counting the total number of words used in a language is complex as there are many variables. Comparisons are particularly difficult between alphabetic and non-alphabetic languages.
We can, however, compare the standard dictionaries of the principal European languages. By this measure, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) indicates that the English language has the largest vocabulary.
- The OED has 23 volumes and defines 615,100 words.
- A similar German dictionary offers around 180,000 words.
- A Russian language dictionary has around 160,000 words
- A French edition has fewer than 150,000 words.
What is a word? A surprisingly complex question