A new unit for vocabulary size in conlang: "scvu"

What is scvu (Standard Conlang Vocabulary Units)?

scvu (Standard Conlang Vocabulary Units) is a standardized metric used to represent the vocabulary size of a constructed language.
It is designed to answer the frequently asked question, “How large is the vocabulary?” in a way that is intuitive, simple to calculate, and easy to compare across different conlang projects.

Definition

scvu is defined by the following formula:

scvu = (Vocabulary size ÷ 2500) × 100

Under this definition:

2500 words = 100 scvu

The value of 2500 words represents a realistic baseline at which a constructed language can support basic daily communication and simple written expression. It serves as a practical reference point for judging whether a conlang has reached a usable stage.

Examples

1250 words → 50 scvu

2500 words → 100 scvu

5000 words → 200 scvu

800 words → 32 scvu

Compared to listing raw word counts, scvu allows the overall scale of a vocabulary to be understood at a glance.

Advantages of Using scvu

Extremely simple calculation
Requires only basic division and multiplication.

Clean, intuitive numbers
Easier to grasp than many existing metrics.

Well suited for comparison
Enables direct comparison of vocabulary size across different constructed languages.

The design prioritizes usability and readability over theoretical complexity.

Intended Uses

Tracking the progress of a conlang project

Describing the scale of dictionaries or lexicons

Comparing vocabulary size between constructed languages

Providing a rough benchmark for “prototype” versus “practical” languages

Limitations

scvu measures vocabulary size only and does not take into account:

Grammatical complexity

Productivity of word formation

Polysemy or derivational depth

Actual usage frequency

As a result, a higher scvu indicates a larger vocabulary, not necessarily a more complete or higher-quality language.

Summary

scvu is a unit designed to make the vocabulary size of constructed languages
easy to calculate, easy to understand, and easy to share.

Rather than starting with complex theory, scvu offers a common numerical reference point.
More detailed discussions can always come later.