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Wikipedia:Language learning centre/5000 most common words

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These are 1100 of the most common words in American English in order of usage. This can be a particularly useful list when starting to learn a new language and will help prioritise creating sentences using the words in other languages to ensure that you develop your core quickly. This process will be sped up if creating sentences using multiple words from the list to construct sentences like "They think it is time to go" - "Ellos piensan que es hora de irse" in Spanish for instance. It is important to learn words in a given context and will make the words easier to remember.


  1. the
  2. be
  3. and
  4. of
  5. a
  6. in
  7. to
  8. have
  9. to
  10. it
  11. I
  12. that
  13. for
  14. you
  15. he
  16. with
  17. on
  18. do
  19. say
  20. this
  21. they
  22. at
  23. but
  24. we
  25. his
  26. from
  27. that
  28. by
  29. she
  30. or
  31. as
  32. what
  33. go
  34. their
  35. can
  36. who
  37. get
  38. if
  39. would
  40. her
  41. all
  42. my
  43. make
  44. about
  45. know
  46. will
  47. as
  48. up
  49. one
  50. time
  51. there
  52. year
  53. so
  54. think
  55. when
  56. which
  57. them
  58. some
  59. me
  60. people
  61. ta
  62. out
  63. into
  64. just
  65. see
  66. him
  67. your
  68. come
  69. could
  70. now
  71. than
  72. like
  73. other
  74. how
  75. then
  76. its
  77. our
  78. two
  79. more
  80. these
  81. want
  82. way
  83. look
  84. first
  85. also
  86. new
  87. because
  88. day
  89. more
  90. use
  91. no
  92. man
  93. find
  94. here
  95. thing
  96. give
  97. ma
  98. well
  99. only
  100. those
  101. tell
  102. one
  103. very
  104. her
  105. even
  106. back
  107. any
  108. good
  109. woman
  110. through
  111. us
  112. life
  113. child
  114. there
  115. work
  116. down
  117. may
  118. after
  119. should
  120. call
  121. world
  122. over
  123. school
  124. still
  125. try
  126. in
  127. as
  128. last
  129. ask
  130. need
  131. too
  132. feel
  133. three
  134. when
  135. state
  136. never
  137. become
  138. between
  139. high
  140. really
  141. something
  142. most
  143. another
  144. much
  145. family
  146. own
  147. out
  148. leave
  149. put
  150. old
  151. while
  152. mean
  153. on
  154. keep
  155. student
  156. why
  157. let
  158. great
  159. same
  160. big
  161. group
  162. begin
  163. seem
  164. country
  165. help
  166. talk
  167. where
  168. turn
  169. problem
  170. every
  171. start
  172. hand
  173. might
  174. American
  175. show
  176. part
  177. about
  178. against
  179. place
  180. over
  181. such
  182. again
  183. few
  184. case
  185. most
  186. week
  187. company
  188. where
  189. system
  190. each
  191. right
  192. program
  193. hear
  194. so
  195. question
  196. during
  197. work
  198. play
  199. government
  200. run
  201. small
  202. number
  203. off
  204. always
  205. move
  206. like
  207. night
  208. live
  209. point
  210. believe
  211. hold
  212. today
  213. bring
  214. happen
  215. next
  216. without
  217. before
  218. large
  219. all
  220. million
  221. must
  222. home
  223. under
  224. water
  225. room
  226. write
  227. mother
  228. area
  229. national
  230. money
  231. story
  232. young
  233. fact
  234. month
  235. different
  236. lot
  237. right
  238. study
  239. book
  240. job
  241. word
  242. though
  243. business
  244. issue
  245. side
  246. kind
  247. four
  248. head
  249. far
  250. black
  251. long
  252. both
  253. little
  254. house
  255. yes
  256. after
  257. since
  258. long
  259. provide
  260. service
  261. around
  262. friend
  263. important
  264. father
  265. sit
  266. away
  267. until
  268. power
  269. hour
  270. game
  271. often
  272. yet
  273. line
  274. political
  275. end
  276. among
  277. ever
  278. stand
  279. bad
  280. lose
  281. however
  282. member
  283. pay
  284. law
  285. meet
  286. car
  287. city
  288. almost
  289. include
  290. continue
  291. set
  292. later
  293. community
  294. much
  295. name
  296. five
  297. once
  298. white
  299. least
  300. president
  301. learn
  302. real
  303. change
  304. team
  305. minute
  306. best
  307. several
  308. idea
  309. kid
  310. body
  311. information
  312. nothing
  313. ago
  314. right
  315. lead
  316. social
  317. understand
  318. whether
  319. back
  320. watch
  321. together
  322. follow
  323. around
  324. parent
  325. only
  326. stop
  327. face
  328. anything
  329. create
  330. public
  331. already
  332. speak
  333. others
  334. read
  335. level
  336. allow
  337. add
  338. office
  339. spend
  340. door
  341. health
  342. person
  343. sure
  344. such
  345. war
  346. history
  347. party
  348. within
  349. grow
  350. result
  351. open
  352. change
  353. morning
  354. walk
  355. reason
  356. low
  357. win
  358. research
  359. girl
  360. guy
  361. early
  362. food
  363. before
  364. moment
  365. himself
  366. air
  367. teacher
  368. force
  369. offer
  370. enough
  371. both
  372. education
  373. across
  374. although
  375. remember
  376. foot
  377. second
  378. boy
  379. maybe
  380. toward
  381. able
  382. age
  383. off
  384. policy
  385. everything
  386. love
  387. process
  388. music
  389. including
  390. consider
  391. appear
  392. actually
  393. buy
  394. probably
  395. human
  396. wait
  397. serve
  398. market
  399. die
  400. send
  401. expect
  402. home
  403. sense
  404. build
  405. stay
  406. fall
  407. oh
  408. nation
  409. plan
  410. cut
  411. college
  412. interest
  413. death
  414. course
  415. someone
  416. experience
  417. behind
  418. reach
  419. local
  420. kill
  421. six
  422. remain
  423. effect
  424. use
  425. yeah
  426. suggest
  427. class
  428. control
  429. raise
  430. care
  431. perhaps
  432. little
  433. late
  434. hard
  435. field
  436. else
  437. pass
  438. former
  439. sell
  440. major
  441. sometimes
  442. require
  443. along
  444. development
  445. themselves
  446. report
  447. role
  448. better
  449. economic
  450. effort
  451. up
  452. decide
  453. rate
  454. strong
  455. possible
  456. heart
  457. drug
  458. show
  459. leader
  460. light
  461. voice
  462. wife
  463. whole
  464. police
  465. mind
  466. finally
  467. pull
  468. return
  469. free
  470. military
  471. price
  472. report
  473. less
  474. according
  475. decision
  476. explain
  477. son
  478. hope
  479. even
  480. develop
  481. view
  482. relationship
  483. carry
  484. town
  485. road
  486. drive
  487. arm
  488. true
  489. federal
  490. break
  491. better
  492. difference
  493. thank
  494. receive
  495. value
  496. international
  497. building
  498. action
  499. full
  500. model
  501. join
  502. season
  503. society
  504. because
  505. tax
  506. director
  507. early
  508. position
  509. player
  510. agree
  511. especially
  512. record
  513. pick
  514. wear
  515. paper
  516. special
  517. space
  518. ground
  519. form
  520. support
  521. event
  522. official
  523. whose
  524. matter
  525. everyone
  526. cent
  527. couple
  528. site
  529. end
  530. project
  531. hit
  532. base
  533. activity
  534. star
  535. table
  536. need
  537. court
  538. produce
  539. eat
  540. American
  541. teach
  542. oil
  543. half
  544. situation
  545. easy
  546. cost
  547. industry
  548. figure
  549. face
  550. street
  551. image
  552. itself
  553. phone
  554. either
  555. data
  556. cover
  557. quite
  558. picture
  559. clear
  560. practice
  561. piece
  562. land
  563. recent
  564. describe
  565. product
  566. doctor
  567. wall
  568. patient
  569. worker
  570. news
  571. test
  572. movie
  573. certain
  574. north
  575. love
  576. personal
  577. open
  578. support
  579. simply
  580. third
  581. technology
  582. catch
  583. step
  584. baby
  585. computer
  586. type
  587. attention
  588. draw
  589. film
  590. Republican
  591. tree
  592. source
  593. red
  594. nearly
  595. organization
  596. choose
  597. cause
  598. hair
  599. look
  600. point
  601. century
  602. evidence
  603. window
  604. difficult
  605. listen
  606. soon
  607. culture
  608. billion
  609. chance
  610. brother
  611. energy
  612. period
  613. course
  614. summer
  615. less
  616. realize
  617. hundred
  618. available
  619. plant
  620. likely
  621. opportunity
  622. term
  623. short
  624. letter
  625. condition
  626. choice
  627. place
  628. single
  629. rule
  630. daughter
  631. administration
  632. south
  633. husband
  634. Congress
  635. floor
  636. campaign
  637. material
  638. population
  639. well
  640. call
  641. economy
  642. medical
  643. hospital
  644. church
  645. close
  646. thousand
  647. risk
  648. current
  649. fire
  650. future
  651. wrong
  652. involve
  653. defense
  654. anyone
  655. increase
  656. security
  657. bank
  658. myself
  659. certainly
  660. west
  661. sport
  662. board
  663. seek
  664. per
  665. subject
  666. officer
  667. private
  668. rest
  669. behavior
  670. deal
  671. performance
  672. fight
  673. throw
  674. top
  675. quickly
  676. past
  677. goal
  678. second
  679. bed
  680. order
  681. author
  682. fill
  683. represent
  684. focus
  685. foreign
  686. drop
  687. plan
  688. blood
  689. upon
  690. agency
  691. push
  692. nature
  693. color
  694. no
  695. recently
  696. store
  697. reduce
  698. sound
  699. note
  700. fine
  701. before
  702. near
  703. movement
  704. page
  705. enter
  706. share
  707. than
  708. common
  709. poor
  710. other
  711. natural
  712. race
  713. concern
  714. series
  715. significant
  716. similar
  717. hot
  718. language
  719. each
  720. usually
  721. response
  722. dead
  723. rise
  724. animal
  725. factor
  726. decade
  727. article
  728. shoot
  729. east
  730. save
  731. seven
  732. artist
  733. away
  734. scene
  735. stock
  736. career
  737. despite
  738. central
  739. eight
  740. thus
  741. treatment
  742. beyond
  743. happy
  744. exactly
  745. protect
  746. approach
  747. lie
  748. size
  749. dog
  750. fund
  751. serious
  752. occur
  753. media
  754. ready
  755. sign
  756. thought
  757. list
  758. individual
  759. simple
  760. quality
  761. pressure
  762. accept
  763. answer
  764. hard
  765. resource
  766. identify
  767. left
  768. meeting
  769. determine
  770. prepare
  771. disease
  772. whatever
  773. success
  774. argue
  775. cup
  776. particularly
  777. amount
  778. ability
  779. staff
  780. recognize
  781. indicate
  782. character
  783. growth
  784. loss
  785. degree
  786. wonder
  787. attack
  788. herself
  789. region
  790. television
  791. box
  792. training
  793. pretty
  794. trade
  795. deal
  796. election
  797. everybody
  798. physical
  799. lay
  800. general
  801. feeling
  802. standard
  803. bill
  804. message
  805. fail
  806. outside
  807. arrive
  808. analysis
  809. benefit
  810. name
  811. sex
  812. forward
  813. lawyer
  814. present
  815. section
  816. environmental
  817. glass
  818. answer
  819. skill
  820. sister
  821. professor
  822. operation
  823. financial
  824. crime
  825. stage
  826. OK
  827. compare
  828. authority
  829. miss
  830. design
  831. sort
  832. one
  833. act
  834. ten
  835. knowledge
  836. gun
  837. station
  838. blue
  839. state
  840. strategy
  841. little
  842. clearly
  843. discuss
  844. indeed
  845. force
  846. truth
  847. song
  848. example
  849. democratic
  850. check
  851. environment
  852. leg
  853. dark
  854. public
  855. various
  856. rather
  857. laugh
  858. guess
  859. executive
  860. set
  861. study
  862. prove
  863. hang
  864. entire
  865. rock
  866. design
  867. enough
  868. forget
  869. since
  870. claim
  871. note
  872. remove
  873. manager
  874. help
  875. close
  876. sound
  877. enjoy
  878. network
  879. legal
  880. religious
  881. cold
  882. form
  883. final
  884. main
  885. science
  886. green
  887. memory
  888. card
  889. above
  890. seat
  891. cell
  892. establish
  893. nice
  894. trial
  895. expert
  896. that
  897. spring
  898. firm
  899. Democrat
  900. radio
  901. visit
  902. management
  903. care
  904. avoid
  905. imagine
  906. tonight
  907. huge
  908. ball
  909. no
  910. close
  911. finish
  912. yourself
  913. talk
  914. theory
  915. impact
  916. respond
  917. statement
  918. maintain
  919. charge
  920. popular
  921. traditional
  922. onto
  923. reveal
  924. direction
  925. weapon
  926. employee
  927. cultural
  928. contain
  929. peace
  930. head
  931. control
  932. base
  933. pain
  934. apply
  935. play
  936. measure
  937. wide
  938. shake
  939. fly
  940. interview
  941. manage
  942. chair
  943. fish
  944. particular
  945. camera
  946. structure
  947. politics
  948. perform
  949. bit
  950. weight
  951. suddenly
  952. discover
  953. candidate
  954. top
  955. production
  956. treat
  957. trip
  958. evening
  959. affect
  960. inside
  961. conference
  962. unit
  963. best
  964. style
  965. adult
  966. worry
  967. range
  968. mention
  969. rather
  970. far
  971. deep
  972. past
  973. edge
  974. individual
  975. specific
  976. writer
  977. trouble
  978. necessary
  979. throughout
  980. challenge
  981. fear
  982. shoulder
  983. institution
  984. middle
  985. sea
  986. dream
  987. bar
  988. beautiful
  989. property
  990. instead
  991. improve
  992. stuff
  993. detail
  994. method
  995. sign
  996. somebody
  997. magazine
  998. hotel
  999. soldier
  1000. reflect
  1001. heavy
  1002. sexual
  1003. cause
  1004. bag
  1005. heat
  1006. fall
  1007. marriage
  1008. tough
  1009. sing
  1010. surface
  1011. purpose
  1012. exist
  1013. pattern
  1014. whom
  1015. skin
  1016. agent
  1017. owner
  1018. machine
  1019. gas
  1020. down
  1021. ahead
  1022. generation
  1023. commercial
  1024. address
  1025. cancer
  1026. test
  1027. item
  1028. reality
  1029. coach
  1030. step
  1031. Mrs
  1032. yard
  1033. beat
  1034. violence
  1035. total
  1036. tend
  1037. investment
  1038. discussion
  1039. finger
  1040. garden
  1041. notice
  1042. collection
  1043. modern
  1044. task
  1045. partner
  1046. positive
  1047. civil
  1048. kitchen
  1049. consumer
  1050. shot
  1051. budget
  1052. wish
  1053. painting
  1054. scientist
  1055. safe
  1056. agreement
  1057. capital
  1058. mouth
  1059. nor
  1060. victim
  1061. newspaper
  1062. instead
  1063. threat
  1064. responsibility
  1065. smile
  1066. attorney
  1067. score
  1068. account
  1069. interesting
  1070. break
  1071. audience
  1072. rich
  1073. dinner
  1074. figure
  1075. vote
  1076. western
  1077. relate
  1078. travel
  1079. debate
  1080. prevent
  1081. citizen
  1082. majority
  1083. none
  1084. front
  1085. born
  1086. admit
  1087. senior
  1088. assume
  1089. wind
  1090. key
  1091. professional
  1092. mission
  1093. fast
  1094. alone
  1095. customer
  1096. suffer
  1097. speech
  1098. successful
  1099. option
  1100. participant