How many words are in each HSK level (3.0 and 2.0)
HSK 3.0 has 11,092 words across 9 levels; HSK 2.0, the classic one, has 5,000 across 6. Here are the exact numbers level by level for both standards, plus a figure nobody else publishes: how many words from the old HSK survive in the new one — all counted from the real data, not from hearsay.
How many words are in HSK 3.0?
HSK 3.0 — officially the “Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education” (GF 0025-2021), in force since July 2021 — totals 11,092 words across 9 levels (3 stages × 3 levels). That’s the figure from the official vocabulary list. More than double the old standard — the “why” behind that jump is in HSK 3.0 vs HSK 2.0; here are the numbers.
And each level?
Words at this level are the new ones introduced at that step; cumulative means everything you’ve covered up to there. The last row is what you’ll see inside the app: Wanyu’s library cards for each level.
| HSK 3.0 level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Words at this level | 500 | 772 | 973 | 1,000 | 1,071 | 1,140 | 5,636 |
| Cumulative | 500 | 1,272 | 2,245 | 3,245 | 4,316 | 5,456 | 11,092 |
| Cards in Wanyu | 518 | 803 | 985 | 1,018 | 1,098 | 1,171 | 5,730 |
The 7–9 band isn’t subdivided in the vocabulary list: it’s 5,636 words studied together and assessed in a single exam. Wanyu’s cards total 11,323, slightly more than the official 11,092 — we explain why below.
How many did HSK 2.0 have?
HSK 2.0 (the 2010 system, the one almost everyone just calls “the HSK”) has 5,000 words across 6 levels. Its figures are cumulative — each level includes the previous ones:
| HSK 2.0 level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Words at this level | 150 | 150 | 300 | 600 | 1,300 | 2,500 |
| Cumulative | 150 | 300 | 600 | 1,200 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
Mind both the obvious and the trap: the complete HSK 2.0 (5,000) is less than half of 3.0 (11,092), and the levels do not match across systems. A “level 4” isn’t the same bar in one and the other. That false correspondence is the most expensive mistake in HSK study, and we take it apart in HSK 3.0 vs HSK 2.0.
How many words from the old HSK are still in the new one?
Nobody publishes this figure, and we counted it by cross-referencing the two lists inside Wanyu: of the 5,000 words in HSK 2.0, 4,491 are still present in HSK 3.0. In other words, about 509 words from the old standard dropped out of the new one. Here’s how the survival breaks down by HSK 2.0 level:
| HSK 2.0 level | Words at this level | Still in HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 150 | 150 |
| Level 2 | 150 | 143 |
| Level 3 | 300 | 287 |
| Level 4 | 600 | 590 |
| Level 5 | 1,300 | 1,248 |
| Level 6 | 2,500 | 2,073 |
| Total | 5,000 | 4,491 |
The takeaway is clear: the basic vocabulary was barely touched — the 150 words of level 1 are intact — and the pruning concentrated on the higher levels, especially level 6, where 427 words were left out. If you’re coming from HSK 2.0, almost all your effort still counts under the new standard.
Why does Wanyu have 11,323 cards if the standard has 11,092 words?
Because a word with more than one reading is stored as one card per reading. Many Chinese characters and words are pronounced two ways depending on meaning (for example 行 as xíng, “to go / to work,” and as háng, “row / trade”). The standard counts them as a single vocabulary entry; Wanyu splits them so each reading gets its own pinyin, audio and example sentences. That’s the 231 extra cards: 11,092 official words become 11,323 cards. The number to cite as the “size of HSK 3.0” is the official one, 11,092.
Frequently asked questions
Does HSK 3.0 have 11,092 or 11,323 words?
The official HSK 3.0 list (GF 0025-2021) has 11,092 words. In Wanyu you see 11,323 cards because words with more than one reading are stored as one card per reading; it's the same 11,092 words, just split by pronunciation.
Does the new HSK level 4 equal the old level 4?
No. HSK 2.0 level 4 is 1,200 cumulative words; HSK 3.0 level 4 is 3,245. The levels don't correspond across systems: the same number doesn't mark the same bar.
How many HSK 2.0 words are still in HSK 3.0?
Of the 5,000 words in HSK 2.0, 4,491 are still present in HSK 3.0 (counted from Wanyu's data). About 509 dropped out, almost all from the higher levels; the basic vocabulary stayed intact.
Where can I browse the full lists?
In Wanyu's HSK lists, open and free: every word with its 3.0 level and its 2.0 tag where one exists. They're at wanyu.app/en/hsk/.
Want to see the words, not just count them? The complete HSK lists are open and free, with each word’s 3.0 level and 2.0 tag. And the whole HSK library — with tone-colored pinyin, audio and example sentences — lives inside the app.
Official figures from the GF 0025-2021 standard (HSK 3.0) and the HSK 2.0 lists. The card counts and the 2.0 → 3.0 vocabulary survival are counted from the real data in Wanyu’s library (11,323 cards over 11,092 words). Guide written in July 2026.