: While 2,000 to 3,000 words are enough for daily life, reaching 5,000 words typically equates to a B2 or C1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Core Word Categories
Because language follows the Pareto Principle, the first 1,000 words cover about 85% of usage, while reaching 5,000 words gets you to the point where you can often guess new words from context. 5000 most common english words list