Myth check
Every Chinese word is one character.
Modern Mandarin words are often two syllables/characters.
Verdict
mostly_false
Why
朋友、学习、今天 are typical two-character words Keep evidence from your own listening and speaking practice, not from fear stories.
Single-character words exist, but dictionaries are full of compounds.
Learn words, not only isolated characters Keep evidence from your own listening and speaking practice, not from fear stories.
Test the better framing with a short practice drill the same day you read this myth.
Better framing
Study vocabulary as usable chunks with example sentences.
Practice tip
Practice tip: after reading “Every Chinese word is one character.”, do one concrete drill from the better framing—speak aloud for five minutes using related words or tones.