No one knows for sure how many words there are in the English language. According to the Oxford University Press, the English language contains more than 300,000 words. However, even though there are this many words, according to Wikipedia, the average person's vocabulary encompasses 10,000 words regardless of their native tongue. And unless you make an effort to increase your vocabulary, the average person's vocabulary stops growing in their mid-twenties.

Improving vocabulary is important for several reasons. There is a strong correlation between vocabulary and intelligence. Therefore, a good vocabulary is correlated with success in life from childhood to adulthood. When you're in school, vocabulary deficiencies are the main cause of academic failure in grades 3 through 12. The size of a person's vocabulary is one of the strongest predictors on how well we understand what we read. Learning is dependent upon reading to a large extent, and reading comprehension is dependent upon vocabulary.

Furthermore, as an adult, not only does the way you look make an impression, but the way you speak makes an impression, too. In addition to being a sign of intelligence, a well-rounded vocabulary helps you communicate better, and it helps you obtain better jobs. Research has shown people with a good vocabulary have higher positions within a company and higher pay.

The following tips on improving vocabulary will help

• Read - Reading alot is one way to increase your vocabulary since it will introduce you to new words.
• Keep a vocabulary notebook - When you run across a new word, look it up in the dictionary. Write down the definition and try to use it in a few new sentences. By writing the word down and using it in a new sentence, it will help you remember the word better. You can also do the same thing with index cards. Carry the cards around with you and look at them occasionally until you have the word memorized. It takes between 10 to 20 repetitions before it becomes part of your long-term memory.
• Learn new words by using a thesaurus. Rather than giving a definition like the dictionary, a thesaurus gives a list of synonyms for a word. Synonyms are words that have the same meaning.
• Buy a vocabulary book or check out one from the library. There are many good books avaiable that help improve vocabulary.
• Play Scrabble or Boggle.
• Play word puzzles like crossword puzzles and cryptograms.
• Learn prefixes, suffixes, and roots of words.
• Try to incorporate the new words you've learned into your speech and writing.

There are numerous ways you can improve your vocabulary. Improving vocabulary can benefit you in several ways. It improves your communication skills, improves your writing skills,improves your chances of obtaining a better-paying job, improves your self-esteem, and improves people's perception of your intelligence. Improving vocabulary isn't hard; it just takes effort. However, the benefits are well worth the effort! Unbelievably, if you learn just one word every day, your vocabulary will increase by 9,000 words over the next 25 years.