French Study Finds Vocabulary Richness Tops Reasons for Language Love

A Preply survey conducted on 22 July 2026 asked French speakers why they love their language. 42 % cited the richness of the French vocabulary as the main attraction, followed by the language’s history (33 %), regional accents and dialects (29 %), romantic connotations (23 %), linguistic creativity (21 %) and musicality (19 %). Lexicologist and language historian Jean Pruvost explained that the French population’s appreciation for words is linked to the country’s extensive dictionary tradition – France possesses more than 10 000 dictionary titles, including the Larousse and Robert series. He noted that French lexical knowledge is structured in three tiers: roughly 3 000 everyday words, about 30 000 words of general culture, and specialist vocabularies for various professions.