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Prior theories proposed that children's rapid acquisition of words is based on language\u2010specific knowledge and constraints. In contrast, more recent work converges on the view that word learning proceeds via domain\u2010general processes that are tuned to richly structured\u2014not impoverished\u2014input. We argue that new theoretical insights, coupled with methodological tools, have pushed the field toward an appreciation of simple, content\u2010free processes working together as a system to support the acquisition of words. We illustrate this by considering three central phenomena of early language development: referential ambiguity, fast\u2010mapping, and the vocabulary spurt. <jats:italic>WIREs Cogn Sci<\/jats:italic> 2017, 8:e1421. doi: 10.1002\/wcs.1421<\/jats:p><jats:p>This article is categorized under:\n<jats:list list-type=\"explicit-label\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Linguistics &gt; Language Acquisition<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Psychology &gt; Development and Aging<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<\/jats:list><\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/wcs.1421","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,12,1]],"date-time":"2016-12-01T15:08:23Z","timestamp":1480604903000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":30,"title":["What does it take to learn a word?"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Larissa K.","family":"Samuelson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology University of East Anglia  Norwich UK"},{"name":"DeLTA Center 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