Our list of the 1000 most common and frequently used words in English IN ORDER OF FREQUENCY.
Because this list of the 1000 most common words is in order of frequency, the first word on the list is used 2x more than the word below it, and the the next word is used 2x more than the word after that (and so on). Focus on the first 100 words, then the next 100 for the most efficient way to learn English vocabulary. After that, you can really challenge yourself with our list of 3000 English words and here is a version with Hindi translation. Want to get started with private classes? Tell us why you want to learn English.
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- the
- be
- and
- a
- of
- to
- in
- i
- you
- it
- have
- to
- that
- for
- do
- he
- with
- on
- this
- n’t
- we
- that
- not
- but
- they
- say
- at
- what
- his
- from
- go
- or
- by
- get
- she
- my
- can
- as
- know
- if
- me
- your
- all
- who
- about
- their
- will
- so
- would
- make
- just
- up
- think
- time
- there
- see
- her
- as
- out
- one
- come
- people
- take
- year
- him
- them
- some
- want
- how
- when
- which
- now
- like
- other
- could
- our
- into
- here
- then
- than
- look
- way
- more
- these
- no
- thing
- well
- because
- also
- two
- use
- tell
- good
- first
- man
- day
- find
- give
- more
- new
- one
- us
- any
- those
- very
- her
- need
- back
- there
- should
- even
- only
- many
- really
- work
- life
- why
- right
- down
- on
- try
- let
- something
- too
- call
- woman
- may
- still
- through
- mean
- after
- never
- no
- world
- in
- feel
- yeah
- great
- last
- child
- oh
- over
- ask
- when
- as
- school
- state
- much
- talk
- out
- keep
- leave
- put
- like
- help
- big
- where
- same
- all
- own
- while
- start
- three
- high
- every
- another
- become
- most
- between
- happen
- family
- over
- president
- old
- yes
- house
- show
- again
- student
- so
- seem
- might
- part
- hear
- its
- place
- problem
- where
- believe
- country
- always
- week
- point
- hand
- off
- play
- turn
- few
- group
- such
- against
- run
- guy
- about
- case
- question
- work
- night
- live
- game
- number
- write
- bring
- without
- money
- lot
- most
- book
- system
- government
- next
- city
- company
- story
- today
- job
- move
- must
- bad
- friend
- during
- begin
- love
- each
- hold
- different
- american
- little
- before
- ever
- word
- fact
- right
- read
- anything
- nothing
- sure
- small
- month
- program
- maybe
- right
- under
- business
- home
- kind
- stop
- pay
- study
- since
- issue
- name
- idea
- room
- percent
- far
- away
- law
- actually
- large
- though
- provide
- lose
- power
- kid
- war
- understand
- head
- mother
- real
- best
- team
- eye
- long
- long
- side
- water
- young
- wait
- okay
- both
- yet
- after
- meet
- service
- area
- important
- person
- hey
- thank
- much
- someone
- end
- change
- however
- only
- around
- hour
- everything
- national
- four
- line
- girl
- around
- watch
- until
- father
- sit
- create
- information
- car
- learn
- least
- already
- kill
- minute
- party
- include
- stand
- together
- back
- follow
- health
- remember
- often
- reason
- speak
- ago
- set
- black
- member
- community
- once
- social
- news
- allow
- win
- body
- lead
- continue
- whether
- enough
- spend
- level
- able
- political
- almost
- boy
- university
- before
- stay
- add
- later
- change
- five
- probably
- center
- among
- face
- public
- die
- food
- else
- history
- buy
- result
- morning
- off
- parent
- office
- course
- send
- research
- walk
- door
- white
- several
- court
- home
- grow
- better
- open
- moment
- including
- consider
- both
- such
- little
- within
- second
- late
- street
- free
- better
- everyone
- policy
- table
- sorry
- care
- low
- human
- please
- hope
- TRUE
- process
- teacher
- data
- offer
- death
- whole
- experience
- plan
- easy
- education
- build
- expect
- fall
- himself
- age
- hard
- sense
- across
- show
- early
- college
- music
- appear
- mind
- class
- police
- use
- effect
- season
- tax
- heart
- son
- art
- possible
- serve
- break
- although
- end
- market
- even
- air
- force
- require
- foot
- up
- listen
- agree
- according
- anyone
- baby
- wrong
- love
- cut
- decide
- republican
- full
- behind
- pass
- interest
- sometimes
- security
- eat
- report
- control
- rate
- local
- suggest
- report
- nation
- sell
- action
- support
- wife
- decision
- receive
- value
- base
- pick
- phone
- thanks
- event
- drive
- strong
- reach
- remain
- explain
- site
- hit
- pull
- church
- model
- perhaps
- relationship
- six
- fine
- movie
- field
- raise
- less
- player
- couple
- million
- themselves
- record
- especially
- difference
- light
- development
- federal
- former
- role
- pretty
- myself
- view
- price
- effort
- nice
- quite
- along
- voice
- finally
- department
- either
- toward
- leader
- because
- photo
- wear
- space
- project
- return
- position
- special
- million
- film
- need
- major
- type
- town
- article
- road
- form
- chance
- drug
- economic
- situation
- choose
- practice
- cause
- happy
- science
- join
- teach
- early
- develop
- share
- yourself
- carry
- clear
- brother
- matter
- dead
- image
- star
- cost
- simply
- post
- society
- picture
- piece
- paper
- energy
- personal
- building
- military
- open
- doctor
- activity
- exactly
- american
- media
- miss
- evidence
- product
- realize
- save
- arm
- technology
- catch
- comment
- look
- term
- color
- cover
- describe
- guess
- choice
- source
- mom
- soon
- director
- international
- rule
- campaign
- ground
- election
- face
- uh
- check
- page
- fight
- itself
- test
- patient
- produce
- certain
- whatever
- half
- video
- support
- throw
- third
- care
- rest
- recent
- available
- step
- ready
- opportunity
- official
- oil
- call
- organization
- character
- single
- current
- likely
- county
- future
- dad
- whose
- less
- shoot
- industry
- second
- list
- general
- stuff
- figure
- attention
- forget
- risk
- no
- focus
- short
- fire
- dog
- red
- hair
- point
- condition
- wall
- daughter
- before
- deal
- author
- truth
- upon
- husband
- period
- series
- order
- officer
- close
- land
- note
- computer
- thought
- economy
- goal
- bank
- behavior
- sound
- deal
- certainly
- nearly
- increase
- act
- north
- well
- blood
- culture
- medical
- ok
- everybody
- top
- difficult
- close
- language
- window
- response
- population
- lie
- tree
- park
- worker
- draw
- plan
- drop
- push
- earth
- cause
- per
- private
- tonight
- race
- than
- letter
- other
- gun
- simple
- course
- wonder
- involve
- hell
- poor
- each
- answer
- nature
- administration
- common
- no
- hard
- message
- song
- enjoy
- similar
- congress
- attack
- past
- hot
- seek
- amount
- analysis
- store
- defense
- bill
- like
- cell
- away
- performance
- hospital
- bed
- board
- protect
- century
- summer
- material
- individual
- recently
- example
- represent
- fill
- state
- place
- animal
- fail
- factor
- natural
- sir
- agency
- usually
- significant
- help
- ability
- mile
- statement
- entire
- democrat
- floor
- serious
- career
- dollar
- vote
- sex
- compare
- south
- forward
- subject
- financial
- identify
- beautiful
- decade
- bit
- reduce
- sister
- quality
- quickly
- act
- press
- worry
- accept
- enter
- mention
- sound
- thus
- plant
- movement
- scene
- section
- treatment
- wish
- benefit
- interesting
- west
- candidate
- approach
- determine
- resource
- claim
- answer
- prove
- sort
- enough
- size
- somebody
- knowledge
- rather
- hang
- sport
- tv
- loss
- argue
- left
- note
- meeting
- skill
- card
- feeling
- despite
- degree
- crime
- that
- sign
- occur
- imagine
- vote
- near
- king
- box
- present
- figure
- seven
- foreign
- laugh
- disease
- lady
- beyond
- discuss
- finish
- design
- concern
- ball
- east
- recognize
- apply
- prepare
- network
- huge
- success
- district
- cup
- name
- physical
- growth
- rise
- hi
- standard
- force
- sign
- fan
- theory
- staff
- hurt
- legal
- september
- set
- outside
- et
- strategy
- clearly
- property
- lay
- final
- authority
- perfect
- method
- region
- since
- impact
- indicate
- safe
- committee
- supposed
- dream
- training
- shit
- central
- option
- eight
- particularly
- completely
- opinion
- main
- ten
- interview
- exist
- remove
- dark
- play
- union
- professor
- pressure
- purpose
- stage
- blue
- herself
- sun
- pain
- artist
- employee
- avoid
- account
- release
- fund
- environment
- treat
- specific
- version
- shot
- hate
- reality
- visit
- club
- justice
- river
- brain
- memory
- rock
- talk
- camera
- global
- various
- arrive
- notice
- bit
- detail
- challenge
- argument
- lot
- nobody
- weapon
- best
- station
- island
- absolutely
- instead
- discussion
- instead
- affect
- design
- little
- anyway
- respond
- control
- trouble
- conversation
- manage
- close
- date
- public
- army
- top
- post
- charge
- seat
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When learning a new language the amount of vocabulary can be daunting. Have you heard people say things like: “We only use around 700 words when we talk?” This is true to some degree. The number of words to learn to speak a language really depends on your purpose. Remember that 300 to 600 words may be enough to travel, but at least 1,000 words are necessary for a conversation. The most important thing is not knowing how many words you need to speak a language, but which words to know. Complete fluency is in the 10,000 word range. According to the economist: “Most adult native test-takers range from 20,000–35,000 words. Average native test-takers of age 8 already know 10,000 words. Average native test-takers of age 4 already know 5,000 words. Adult native test-takers learn almost 1 new word a day until middle age”
10,000 words. Wow. That does seem daunting when you are first starting out. But like anything new, you just have to start small and keep adding to it. Why not start smart as well? Below is a list of 100 words that are the most commonly used in the Spanish language.
That’s why we wrote this blog article: Find the 1000 words used most often in spoken English below.
WHY THESE 1000 WORDS?
Let’s imagine that you just got a job as a bartender. Would you try to learn every cocktail known to man, or would you focus on the cocktails that are most popular in your area? We developed this list of words based on the idea of the 80/20 principle (the cornerstone of results-based living). This strategy developed by David Kock that says “The 80/20 Principle asserts that a minority of causes, inputs or efforts usually lead to a majority of the results, outputs or rewards” So instead of learning 10,000 words in no particular order, learn the most common 100 words, then the most common 500 words, and then the most common 1000 words. If you want to check out this classic business book, you can order it here. You can also scroll down to start reviewing the 1000 most common words in English below.
SOME OTHER GREAT WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY:
- Watch Netflix in Original language with original language captions
- Check out a great book like this: to learn more English Words
- Do some quick daily exercises on DuoLingo or any other free language learning app
- Take some classes with us at Strømmen and speak to a real human in person or online
- Use our list of 1000 most common words in English below. If you don’t know a word you can use google translate to see the meaning.
OUR LIST OF THE 1000 MOST COMMON WORDS IN ENGLISH BELOW:
This list is provided by www.wordfrequency.info (thank you!) and is the list that is most useful for language learners. According to thir site it is “Perhaps most useful for language learners, where they probably don’t care about the separate frequency of individual word forms, e.g. decide, decides, decided. It shows the frequency (raw frequency and frequency per million words) in each of the eight main genres: blogs, other web, TV/Movies, (more formal) spoken, fiction, magazine, newspaper, and academic. If you would like to further explore the data please head over to their site. We have chosen this list of 1000 most common words in English because we feel it is the best data set for those of you looking to improve your English vocabulary.
