Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the self-report vocabulary test?
The self-report test asks you to check words you know — fast, but it relies on honesty. This check makes you judge every word as real or fake, so over-claiming is punished automatically: accepting fake words lowers both your accuracy score and your verified word count. Take both and compare!
What is a good accuracy score?
50% means pure guessing. Around 60–70% is typical for intermediate learners, 80%+ suggests advanced proficiency, and 90%+ is native-like — those are the ranges reported for LexTALE-style tests in research settings.
Can I get on the leaderboard?
Yes — unlike the self-report test, this score is objective and cheat-resistant, so it feeds a global leaderboard. Submit your accuracy score with a nickname after the check.
How many people speak Spanish worldwide?
Spanish has close to 500 million native speakers — the second-largest native-speaker community in the world after Mandarin Chinese — and roughly 600 million speakers overall across more than 20 countries. That global reach means every word you verify here is usable from Madrid to Mexico City to Buenos Aires.
Do English cognates help me score higher in Spanish?
Often, yes — thousands of Spanish words share Latin roots with English (posible, información, decidir), so educated guesses work surprisingly well. But be careful: the made-up words are designed to look just as plausible, so relying on "it looks familiar" alone will cost you accuracy on the fakes.
How can I raise my Spanish accuracy score over time?
Massive input is the proven route: reading and listening to real Spanish exposes you to words repeatedly in context, which is what makes the real-or-fake judgment instant. Add a frequency-based word list for deliberate study, then come back every few weeks — each retake draws fresh words, so it's a clean measurement.