English Language Sites

[Camy]

In my wanderings I come across a lot of interesting English Language sites, and thought that rather than bookmark them locally (I have so many sites bookmarked it's become futile trying to find the one I want) I'd post them here; that way I'll know where they are ... and others might find them entertaining too.

Luciferous Logolepsy, a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words.

http://www.kokogiak.com/logolepsy/

How big is yours?

http://www.geocities.com/rnseitz/Vocabulary_Testing.html

[Tragic Rabbit]

How big is yours?

http://www.geocities.com/rnseitz/Vocabulary_Testing.html

Not as big as I'd imagined, dammit, I tried the WordSmart Challenge three times and could not get higher than 880. No Hall o' Fame for TR. Hey, size isn't everthing! People apparently get 900+ and 1000 on that thing...grrrr.

I actually had my vocabulary professionally tested in grad school (my prof's idea, not mine, and no charge), aside from SAT, GRE etc, and once knew the supposed number (they run in the multiple thousands) from some test more complex than the listed one of multiplying from the dictionary, though that one seems worth trying. The problem is that dictionaries vary and the ones they're suggesting don't have an actual standard. 'Webster' is no longer, for instance, from that family or company, the name was sold and is used in a variety of dictionaries...whose contents are of varying difficulty levels (and accuracy, but that's another rant). Now if we all pick up the OED (work out first!), use that, and we'd have something, or at least pick the same single edition of the same dictionary, otherwise I don't see that it's comparative, though it might be personally fun and even useful.

I couldn't get the other vocab test to come up, Camy, it said the site is dead...did you try it out or just copy the link?

I love stuff like this, thanks, Camy!

Kisses...

TR, whose vocab ain't what he thought it was

PS. I did get an 800 (perfect score) on the verbal SAT, though, and I'll bet most of the AD Authors and Editors did, too. True?

[Graeme]

PS. I did get an 800 (perfect score) on the verbal SAT, though, and I'll bet most of the AD Authors and Editors did, too. True?

I'm guessing that the SAT is a test conducting in schools in the USA. If that's the case, then definitely I didn't an 800 on it. In fact, I didn't even take it... :P

Seriously, I never got 100% on any tests in my school career, and my worst subject in years 11 and 12 (equivalent of junior and senior years at high school) was English. I hated it -- I was a maths and science guy.

[Tragic Rabbit]

SAT and ACT are the two college entrance exams in the US, PSAT (a pre-bie SAT) is given in later HS years in the US for scholarship purposes. Highest percentile scorers that year get a bit of college money, as do all school valedictorians, for instance. SAT has two sections, if I recall correctly, total perfect score is 1600, 800 verbal and 800 math.

GRE is the general university graduate school entrance exam and has either three or four sections, one being Logic, and scores can be compared to one's SAT score...usually they are similar or higher. There are specific tests to enter specific higher schools other than the GRE, one for pre-law, another for pre-med, etc. In America, HS is defined as the end of required schooling: kindergarten then 'grades' 1-12, so it overlaps somewhat with the UK definition of required schooling and college. In America, the words 'college' and 'university' are sometimes used synonymously, that is, they are 'higher' education pursued after obtaining a high school diploma (graduating) and obtaining a high enough score on either, or both, the SAT or ACT.

While American schools give some tests routinely, they do not routinely test for either IQ or skills in the US, that latter of which I think is unfortunate. However, sometimes students are singled out in either high school or college for special testing and, of course, anyone can pay for IQ and skills/other tests to be administered. Mensa, for instance, administers its own 'intelligence' testing but does sometimes accept certified scores from other testers in determining admissions. Their requirements are that scores be in the 98th percentile, actual numerical scores vary by test and tester. Mensa is International, btw, and will test you locally for a modest fee. You get some perks with paid (around $50/yr) membership, like store, restaurant and other discounts, 'honors' and whatnot that vary.

Here are some online vocab testing options I've found tonight:

http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/schmies.html

For some very easy alternatives, try the 'thorough' vocabulary tests here from SAT, GRE, TOEFL and GMAT (100 questions, just gives you your score)

http://www.vocaboly.com/vocabulary-test/

A little harder, with level and speed options-tells you your estimated vocabulary size (don't guess-wrong guesses count against score)

http://www.wordsandtools.com/vocdemo/gzram3.html

Kisses...

TR

[EleCivil]

Not as big as I'd imagined, dammit, I tried the WordSmart Challenge three times and could not get higher than 880.

Hey, better than I did. I couldn't get higher than 680-someting.

PS. I did get an 800 (perfect score) on the verbal SAT, though, and I'll bet most of the AD Authors and Editors did, too. True?

Never took the SAT - my college wanted the ACT, which doesn't have a verbal section. I did do well on the writing part, though. I don't know the exact number, but I think it was close to perfect, because I remember my college advisor looking at my record and saying "You scored that high in writing? Why are you studying here?"

[Paul]

Man, that WordSmart thing is addictive! Haven't felt like this since Tetris. Wound up playing it 12 times before I became querulous. Broke 900 three times. High score 945, low 547. Average 764.

[Tragic Rabbit]

Man, that WordSmart thing is addictive! Haven't felt like this since Tetris. Wound up playing it 12 times before I became querulous. Broke 900 three times. High score 945, low 547. Average 764.

Hmm...since it also gives you the right answer along with your score, then retests with repeat words, I'm not so enthused about that. It doesn't appear to have an overall large number of words in its arsenal. It's a short, cute test but replaying a lot it sort of defuses the pt, doesn't it?

If you scored 945, you'll be on this week's high score lists, what did you register as? (nevermind, just checked back and that starts at 991...and I'm not sure he's updating it, still, either.)

You might try the other links I offered, while still just sort of meaningless, they offer a little more punch nad a little less chance to weigh the scales. Try, for instance, this one at Advanced and Fast (10 seconds an answer): http://www.wordsandtools.com/vocdemo/gzram3.html . It should give you a rough estimate of your vocabulary size and each test, should you repeat it, will be different...resetting takes time. I took it twice and no two words were repeated, though it does give you the 'right' answers with your score.

TR

[Paul]

Hmm...since it also gives you the right answer along with your score, then retests with repeat words, I'm not so enthused about that. It doesn't appear to have an overall large number of words in its arsenal. It's a short, cute test but replaying a lot it sort of defuses the pt, doesn't it?

Well, I didn't find out about the missed words feature until after I'd played all 12 rounds. It doesn't come up with your score, you have to click through "more information" to get to it. So that didn't do me any good. I didn't happen to get any second chances at previously missed words in my top three rounds, but no doubt you can benefit from positive reinforcement if you get a second crack at ones you were iffy about the first time around.

Try, for instance, this one at Advanced and Fast (10 seconds an answer): http://www.wordsandtools.com/vocdemo/gzram3.html . It should give you a rough estimate of your vocabulary size and each test, should you repeat it, will be different...resetting takes time. I took it twice and no two words were repeated, though it does give you the 'right' answers with your score.

Darned if I could get it to give me a new test after I took it the first time. The "new" button kept giving me the same words, just reordered slightly. I even tried deleting the cookie and re-registering, but no dice. Anyway, I got 114 out of 120 for a 18740 word vocab, however that rates.

For some very easy alternatives, try the 'thorough' vocabulary tests here from SAT, GRE, TOEFL and GMAT (100 questions, just gives you your score)

http://www.vocaboly.com/vocabulary-test/

Those were pretty easy. Actually, the scores are precentages; each "thorough" test consists of 40 items. I tried both versions of all 4 and came up with two 98s and six 100s. It does correct your wrong answers, BTW.

http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/schmies.html

That one was positively sudorific! Out of 200, I had to skip 51, got 4 wrong for a final score of 145.

Hey, a great way to waste a whole evening. Got any more?

[The Pecman]

I did get an 800 (perfect score) on the verbal SAT, though, and I'll bet most of the AD Authors and Editors did, too True?

As a matter of fact, I do remember my SAT's from (mumbly-mumbly) years ago. I got a 780 on verbal and 670 on math, for a total of 1450. Not a perfect score by a long shot, but it was still in the upper 5% for Florida. That's the only thing that got me into FSU, because my grades were crap. Didn't study at all for it. Note that this was back in the 1970s, long before they made the test a little easier.

I'm always amazed when famous people talk about their SAT scores. Howard Stern mentions his all the time, and says he got a 975 (total), and that was after his parents hired a special tutor. He was the only kid whose SAT scores went down after he studied!