Active vocabulary consists of words which are _____.

In language pedagogy, vocabulary is divided into 'active' (productive) and 'passive' (receptive) categories. Active vocabulary refers to words that a learner uses frequently in speaking and writing — these are words the learner can produce confidently and accurately. Passive vocabulary consists of words the learner recognizes when reading or listening but doesn't typically produce. Words used occasionally tend to be passive. Difficulty of pronunciation or phonological/lexical features are not defining criteria of active vocabulary.