Who has a better vocabulary: Shakespeare or Wu-Tang Clan? Think carefully before you answer

April 7, 2018 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

William Shakespeare is widely considered to be the greatest writer in the history of the English language. But in terms of his vocabulary–that is, the number of distinct words he used in his plays, poems and sonnets–he’s not as, er, well-versed as most members of Wu-Tang Clan. This chart from Statista seems to point this out.

For a full explanation of the statistical analysis, go here.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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