Abstract
This paper describes software (vocd) that implements a solution to problems encountered in quantifying vocabulary diversity. Researchers in various fields of linguistic enquiry have calculated vocabulary diversity using the ratio of different words (Types) to total words (Tokens)-the Type-Token Ratio (TTR)-or measures derived from it. Such measures are flawed, however, because the values obtained are related to the number of words in the sample. The paper shows how the relationship between TTR and sample size can be described by a new mathematical model, which in turn leads to an innovative method of measuring vocabulary diversity. The software automates measurement from transcripts prepared in a widely used computer-readable set of conventions: the CHAT format of the CHILDES project. Options in vocd are described to show how the user can determine which linguistic items will count as valid types and tokens in the analysis. The new measure is calculated by, first, randomly sampling words from the transcript to produce a curve of the TTR against Tokens for the empirical data. Then the software finds the best fit between this empirical curve and theoretical curves calculated from the model by adjusting the value of a parameter. The parameter, D, is shown to be a valid and reliable measure of vocabulary diversity without the problems of sample size found with previous methods.
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