This short contribution is a response to Stein's critical review of the New General Service List; it reviews Stein's argument and replies to the main points raised in her paper. We identify and discuss three fundamental principles of wordlist creation. In particular, we focus on defining and operationalising the vocabulary construct and the pedagogical potential of wordlists. Our contribution seeks to open a broader discussion about the principles of building wordlists for applied linguistic research and pedagogical purposes. Finally, we offer simple guidelines for vocabulary list creation and use.