Passive vs Active Vocabulary

Apr 9
3 min read

From knowing to using

Hi there!

Happy Sunday! If you’re celebrating, I hope you’re having a lovely Easter 🕊️🐣

This feels like a nice moment to pause and reflect on your English progress, don’t you think?

Most English learners share a similar frustration - they understand almost everything they hear or read, but when it comes to speaking… the words don’t seem to come as easily… Well, that’s because there is a difference between recognising a word and actually being able to use it.

The “big word bank” you feel you have in your head is usually the passive vocabulary - the vocabulary that you understand. However, what you want to have is active vocabulary - what you can actually use in real time when speaking.

Having this gap is totally normal and doesn’t indicate a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of activation. Sooo without further ado, let’s get straight into it!

Why knowing words is not enough

Recognition is faster than production

This might not come as a surprise to you, but understanding a word requires much less effort than actually looking for it under pressure, don’t you agree? That usually just goes back to the fact that your brain tends to take the fastest route available when speaking, and this manifests in resorting to using the most familiar words, rather than more advanced ones.

Just think about it, you probably recognise the word “overwhelming” instantly when reading, but tend to say “very stressful” when speaking. Or, you understand the word “subtle”, but end up saying “not very obvious”.

This is not a problem at all, but being able to switch your passive vocabulary to active is what usually gives learners the confidence to speak, as they are actually able to use the words they already know.

Activation requires repetition in real situations

You might be saying right now: But HOW do I achieve that?

Well… I’m sorry to break it to you, but just seeing or hearing a word is, most of the time, not enough. You need to use it multiple times in context to really activate it. Active vocabulary is built through use, not just through exposure alone. That’s why it might feel like watching shows in English or reading is not helping you improve… Because words that you only read or hear rarely appear in spontaneous speech.

Emotional connection helps words become active

One way to make it easier to remember words is when they are linked to real feelings or situations. I experienced this recently (I promise I’ll keep this story time short…); There is this café chain I’ve seen that’s called “Bootlegger”, and I believe I’ve asked Benjamin for the meaning at least 5 times, forgetting it every single time… 😅 The last time I asked him, we were walking through the door and I specifically told him that this time I’ll remember it. Why? Because I will remember the moment when I asked him for the sixth time (walking through the door), not just the definition. And that’s exactly what I’m talking about: emotional connection always strengthens the ability to recall and use a word!

Btw, a bootlegger is basically someone who sells illegal goods.

I hope today’s topic didn’t discourage you, but on the contrary, made you realise that this “struggle” you might have is not really a vocabulary issue. It’s a usage issue. Sometimes, we need to reflect a bit on our focus and maybe even shift it - maybe you don’t need to learn 10 new words this week, but try to use the ones you already know more actively?

Try to make a list of those words you understand but rarely use, and try to change that. Progress at this level is not necessarily about adding more but about unlocking what is already there!

Until next time!

Camila