Measured, not borrowed

The most common English words

This table is a measurement of our own library. Every word in 191,625 published chapters was counted — 826,045,454 word occurrences — and sorted by how often it occurs. Rank 1 is the word you will meet most often on an English page.

2,989 of those words have a page of their own: the US transcription, the part of speech, a learner definition, every sense the entry carries, and real sentences from different books with a link into the chapter each one came from.

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Ranks 2,001 onward

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Words ranked by how often they occur in the Velmora library
Rank	Word	Sound	Part of speech	Meaning	Occurrences
2,005	coast	/koʊst/	noun	the shore of a sea or ocean	43,158
2,006	cottage	/ˈkɑːtədʒ/	noun	a small house with a single story	39,111
2,007	consideration	/kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən/	noun	the process of giving careful thought to something	30,641
2,008	delightful	/dɪˈlaɪtfəl/	adjective	greatly pleasing or entertaining	34,597
2,009	ice	/aɪs/	noun	water frozen in the solid state	47,762
2,010	hence	/hens/	adverb	for this reason	28,159
2,011	tied	/taɪd/	adjective	bound or secured closely	36,603
2,012	evident	/ˈevədənt/	adjective	clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment	36,773
2,013	gratitude	/ˈɡrætətuːd/	noun	a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation	30,085
2,014	event	/ɪˈvent/	noun	something that happens at a given place and time	30,470
2,015	remains	/rɪˈmeɪnz/	noun	any object that is left unused or still extant	32,722
2,016	awake	/əˈweɪk/	adjective	not in a state of sleep; completely conscious	34,056
2,017	interview	/ˈɪntərvjuː/	verb	conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting	29,386
2,018	acquainted	/əˈkweɪntɪd/	adjective	having fair knowledge of	30,978
2,019	boots	/buːts/	noun	plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg	32,783
2,020	literature	/ˈlɪtərətʃər/	noun	creative writing of recognized artistic value	29,527
2,021	animals	/ˈænəməlz/	noun	plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement	43,614
2,022	humble	/ˈhʌmbəl/	adjective	low or inferior in station or quality	31,940
2,023	tones	/toʊnz/	noun	plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice	33,873
2,024	custom	/ˈkʌstəm/	noun	accepted or habitual practice	29,451
2,025	waves	/weɪvz/	noun	plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid …	39,151
2,026	members	/ˈmembərz/	noun	plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individu…	33,866
2,027	stern	/stɜːrn/	adjective	of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect	39,554
2,028	vague	/veɪɡ/	adjective	not clearly expressed or understood	29,450
2,029	darling	/ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/	noun	a special loved one	34,311
2,030	bid	/bɪd/	verb	propose a payment	28,545
2,031	sacrifice	/ˈsækrəfaɪs/	noun	the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or fail…	29,934
2,032	frequently	/ˈfriːkwəntli/	adverb	many times at short intervals	35,099
2,033	size	/saɪz/	noun	the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)	38,195
2,034	stayed	/steɪd/	verb	past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state	34,483
2,035	yonder	/ˈjɑːndər/	adjective	distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)	31,094
2,036	turns	/tɜːrnz/	noun	plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve	31,235
2,037	vanished	/ˈvænɪʃt/	adjective	having passed out of existence	32,123
2,038	efforts	/ˈefərts/	noun	plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish so…	34,521
2,039	Edward	/ˈedwərd/	noun	King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a …	35,984
2,040	fun	/fʌn/	noun	activities that are enjoyable or amusing	40,586
2,041	stuff	/stʌf/	noun	the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object	34,921
2,042	amid	/əˈmɪd/	preposition	in the middle of; surrounded by	32,653
2,043	charm	/tʃɑːrm/	noun	attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates	30,799
2,044	college	/ˈkɑːlɪdʒ/	noun	the body of faculty and students of a college	37,693
2,045	match	/mætʃ/	verb	be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics	33,911
2,046	member	/ˈmembər/	noun	one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined a…	32,630
2,047	ignorant	/ˈɪɡnərənt/	adjective	uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication	28,517
2,048	devoted	/dɪˈvoʊtɪd/	adjective	zealous in devotion or affection	29,951
2,049	silk	/sɪlk/	noun	a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae	33,904
2,050	guest	/ɡest/	noun	a visitor to whom hospitality is extended	33,014
2,051	drank	/dræŋk/	verb	inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids	29,093
2,052	mamma	/ˈmɑːmə/	noun	informal terms for a mother	37,378
2,053	anywhere	/ˈeniwer/	adverb	at or in or to any place	31,384
2,054	occasionally	/əˈkeɪʒənəli/	adverb	sporadically and infrequently	32,824
2,055	sounded	/ˈsaʊndɪd/	verb	past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way	37,756
2,056	calls	/kɔːlz/	noun	plural of “call” — a telephone connection	33,102
2,057	motion	/ˈmoʊʃən/	noun	the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged s…	34,097
2,058	weakness	/ˈwiːknəs/	noun	a flaw or weak point	28,622
2,059	rang	/ræŋ/	verb	inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously	32,548
2,060	painted	/ˈpeɪntɪd/	adjective	coated with paint	32,778
2,061	belief	/bɪˈliːf/	noun	any cognitive content held as true	31,733
2,062	waste	/weɪst/	noun	any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted	32,076
2,063	ate	/eɪt/	noun	goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment	31,999
2,064	military	/ˈmɪləteri/	adjective	of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare	30,336
2,065	press	/pres/	verb	exert pressure or force to or upon	32,643
2,066	title	/ˈtaɪtəl/	noun	a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the mat…	31,665
2,067	squire	/skwaɪr/	noun	young nobleman attendant on a knight	33,146
2,068	forms	/fɔːrmz/	noun	plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that …	32,633
2,069	British	/ˈbrɪtɪʃ/	noun	the people of Great Britain	41,873
2,070	appears	/əˈpɪrz/	verb	third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward…	33,109
2,071	fatal	/ˈfeɪtəl/	adjective	bringing death	26,938
2,072	delay	/dɪˈleɪ/	verb	cause to be slowed down or delayed	31,426
2,073	grateful	/ˈɡreɪtfəl/	adjective	feeling or showing gratitude	30,669
2,074	practice	/ˈpræktəs/	noun	a customary way of operation or behavior	31,617
2,075	mood	/muːd/	noun	a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling	31,444
2,076	immense	/ˌɪˈmens/	adjective	unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope	29,201
2,077	enjoyed	/ˌenˈdʒɔɪd/	verb	past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasu…	32,548
2,078	flame	/fleɪm/	noun	A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.	32,409
2,079	lawyer	/ˈlɔːjər/	noun	a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advi…	30,301
2,080	locked	/lɑːkt/	verb	past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock	31,594
2,081	tail	/teɪl/	noun	the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending …	37,211
2,082	belonged	/bɪˈlɔːŋd/	verb	past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of	32,202
2,083	instinct	/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/	noun	inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli	27,303
2,084	saint	/seɪnt/	noun	a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization	30,794
2,085	beheld	/biˈheld/	verb	inflected form of “behold” — see with attention	27,377
2,086	continue	/kənˈtɪnjuː/	verb	continue a certain state, condition, or activity	31,182
2,087	meat	/miːt/	noun	the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food	34,462
2,088	consciousness	/ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/	noun	an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation	29,384
2,089	useless	/ˈjuːsləs/	adjective	having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully	30,676
2,090	insisted	/ˌɪnˈsɪstəd/	verb	past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge	33,271
2,091	direct	/dərˈekt/	verb	command with authority	32,284
2,092	sharply	/ˈʃɑːrpli/	adverb	in an aggressive manner	37,533
2,093	smooth	/smuːð/	adjective	having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities	35,364
2,094	assistance	/əˈsɪstəns/	noun	the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort o…	33,331
2,095	Sam	/sæm/	noun	a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target	44,427
2,096	useful	/ˈjuːsfəl/	adjective	being of use or service	32,630
2,097	affected	/əˈfektɪd/	adjective	acted upon; influenced	28,033
2,098	shoes	/ʃuːz/	noun	a particular situation	35,808
2,100	bag	/bæɡ/	noun	a flexible container with a single opening	34,900
2,101	extreme	/ekˈstriːm/	adjective	of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity	29,570
2,102	seriously	/ˈsɪriəsli/	adverb	in a serious manner	30,472
2,103	bishop	/ˈbɪʃəp/	noun	a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; …	30,752
2,104	attend	/əˈtend/	verb	be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.	31,084
2,105	pull	/pʊl/	verb	cause to move by pulling	38,426
2,106	wooden	/ˈwʊdən/	adjective	made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood	31,277
2,107	travel	/ˈtrævəl/	verb	change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically	32,371
2,108	pointing	/ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/	verb	-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially …	31,625
2,109	century	/ˈsentʃəri/	noun	a period of 100 years	32,310
2,110	descended	/dɪˈsendəd/	verb	past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way	29,740
2,111	religious	/rɪˈlɪdʒəs/	adjective	concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church	31,110
2,112	dragged	/dræɡd/	verb	inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance	31,522
2,113	described	/dɪˈskraɪbd/	adjective	represented in words especially with sharpness and detail	33,921
2,114	souls	/soʊlz/	noun	plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individua…	29,885
2,115	duties	/ˈduːtiz/	noun	plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by…	31,184
2,116	relations	/riˈleɪʃənz/	noun	mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups	27,427
2,117	singular	/ˈsɪŋɡjələr/	adjective	unusual or striking	27,304
2,118	beard	/bɪrd/	noun	the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face	28,676
2,119	self	/self/	noun	your consciousness of your own identity	30,757
2,120	cattle	/ˈkætəl/	noun	domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age	33,597
2,121	lightly	/ˈlaɪtli/	adverb	without good reason	31,862
2,122	gates	/ɡeɪts/	noun	United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-…	27,444
2,123	hated	/ˈheɪtəd/	adjective	treated with dislike or contempt	29,386
2,124	frame	/freɪm/	verb	enclose in or as if in a frame	32,279
2,125	image	/ˈɪmədʒ/	noun	an iconic mental representation	27,252
2,126	quality	/ˈkwɑːləti/	noun	an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone	29,127
2,127	extremely	/ekˈstriːmli/	adverb	to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect	29,720
2,128	agreeable	/əˈɡriːəbəl/	adjective	conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature	28,477
2,129	fever	/ˈfiːvər/	noun	a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection	29,096
2,130	star	/stɑːr/	noun	(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonucle…	34,412
2,131	glorious	/ˈɡlɔːriəs/	adjective	having or deserving or conferring glory	34,699
2,132	provided	/prəˈvaɪdɪd/	verb	past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to	32,779
2,133	row	/roʊ/	noun	an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line	35,767
2,134	desk	/desk/	noun	a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments	33,227
2,135	previous	/ˈpriːviəs/	adjective	just preceding something else in time or order	33,213
2,136	pen	/pen/	noun	a writing implement with a point from which ink flows	33,396
2,137	pursued	/pərˈsuːd/	noun	a person who is being chased	27,133
2,138	literary	/ˈlɪtəreri/	adjective	of or relating to or characteristic of literature	28,566
2,139	B	/biː/	noun	aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; …	48,541
2,140	imagined	/ˌɪˈmædʒənd/	verb	past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that i…	28,614
2,141	folly	/ˈfɑːli/	noun	the trait of acting stupidly or rashly	27,363
2,142	learning	/ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/	noun	the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge	31,373
2,143	commanded	/kəˈmændɪd/	verb	past form of “command” — be in command of	29,869
2,144	thousands	/ˈθaʊzəndz/	noun	plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100	30,544
2,145	details	/dɪˈteɪlz/	noun	true confidential information	28,349
2,146	lately	/ˈleɪtli/	adverb	in the recent past	33,070
2,147	knocked	/nɑːkt/	verb	past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push	32,557
2,148	conditions	/kənˈdɪʃənz/	noun	the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process	27,500
2,149	contempt	/kənˈtempt/	noun	lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike	26,490
2,150	adventure	/ædˈventʃər/	verb	take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome	32,690
2,151	estate	/ɪˈsteɪt/	noun	everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and…	29,667
2,152	mount	/maʊnt/	verb	attach to a support	26,568
2,153	portion	/ˈpɔːrʃən/	noun	something determined in relation to something that includes it	36,086
2,154	final	/ˈfaɪnəl/	adjective	occurring at or forming an end or termination	31,519
2,155	dancing	/ˈdænsɪŋ/	noun	taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music	32,359
2,156	inn	/ɪn/	noun	a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers	29,229
2,157	favor	/ˈfeɪvər/	verb	promote over another	27,059
2,158	interests	/ˈɪntrəsts/	noun	plural of “interest” — a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something	26,269
2,159	sunshine	/ˈsʌnʃaɪn/	noun	the rays of the sun	35,190
2,160	tent	/tent/	noun	a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to t…	35,725
2,161	leg	/leɡ/	noun	a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of t…	32,602
2,162	observe	/əbˈzɜːrv/	verb	discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of	28,100
2,163	compelled	/kəmˈpeld/	verb	inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something	30,364
2,164	impulse	/ˈɪmpəls/	noun	an instinctive motive	28,708
2,165	burned	/bɜːrnd/	adjective	treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point	31,672
2,166	gravely	/ˈɡreɪvli/	adverb	in a grave and sober manner	30,442
2,167	hollow	/ˈhɑːloʊ/	adjective	not solid; having a space or gap or cavity	30,987
2,168	firmly	/ˈfɜːrmli/	adverb	with resolute determination	31,959
2,169	concluded	/kənˈkluːdəd/	adjective	having come or been brought to a conclusion	31,435
2,170	nation	/ˈneɪʃən/	noun	a politically organized body of people under a single government	31,958
2,171	suspected	/səˈspektɪd/	adjective	believed likely	28,678
2,172	mental	/ˈmentəl/	adjective	involving the mind or an intellectual process	29,575
2,173	similar	/ˈsɪmələr/	adjective	marked by correspondence or resemblance	33,225
2,174	armed	/ɑːrmd/	adjective	(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms	29,564
2,175	artist	/ˈɑːrtəst/	noun	a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination	27,505
2,176	trembled	/ˈtrembəld/	verb	past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways	27,651
2,177	earl	/ɜːrl/	noun	a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount	33,362
2,178	fruit	/fruːt/	noun	the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant	31,896
2,179	heavily	/ˈhevəli/	adverb	to a considerable degree	32,779
2,180	hid	/hɪd/	verb	inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered	29,532
2,181	hitherto	/ˈhɪðɜːrˈtuː/	adverb	used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or…	28,242
2,182	drunk	/drʌŋk/	adjective	stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)	26,717
2,183	deserted	/dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/	adjective	forsaken by owner or inhabitants	29,024
2,184	reckon	/ˈrekən/	verb	expect, believe, or suppose	32,897
2,185	magnificent	/mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/	adjective	characterized by grandeur	28,892
2,186	knights	/naɪts/	noun	plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; t…	20,449
2,187	disturbed	/dɪˈstɜːrbd/	adjective	having the place or position changed	28,441
2,188	kings	/kɪŋz/	noun	plural of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom	24,708
2,189	marquis	/ˌmɑːrˈkiː/	noun	humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)	19,719
2,190	invited	/ˌɪnˈvaɪtəd/	verb	past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of	31,058
2,191	scarce	/skers/	adverb	only a very short time before	28,275
2,192	reward	/rɪˈwɔːrd/	noun	a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing	29,579
2,193	borne	/bɔːrn/	verb	inflected form of “bear” — have	27,721
2,194	torn	/tɔːrn/	adjective	having edges that are jagged from injury	28,988
2,195	ships	/ʃɪps/	noun	plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight	41,444
2,196	throwing	/ˈθroʊɪŋ/	verb	-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air	30,628
2,197	swiftly	/ˈswɪftli/	adverb	in a swift manner	31,964
2,198	silly	/ˈsɪli/	adjective	ludicrous, foolish	30,132
2,199	larger	/ˈlɑːrdʒər/	adjective	large or big relative to something else	34,604
2,200	reflected	/rɪˈflektɪd/	adjective	(especially of incident sound or light) bent or sent back	27,546
2,201	eleven	/ɪˈlevən/	adjective	being one more than ten	28,660
2,202	afterward	/ˈæftərwərd/	adverb	happening at a time subsequent to a reference time	29,280
2,203	branches	/ˈbræntʃəz/	noun	plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization	34,605
2,204	maiden	/ˈmeɪdən/	noun	an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)	31,373
2,205	delivered	/dɪˈlɪvərd/	verb	past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)	25,655

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