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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100 First 100 words 500 First 500 words 1,000 First 1,000 words

Ranks 2,201 onward

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Words ranked by how often they occur in the Velmora library
Rank	Word	Sound	Part of speech	Meaning	Occurrences
2,206	lion	/ˈlaɪən/	noun	large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy…	32,769
2,207	furniture	/ˈfɜːrnɪtʃər/	noun	furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy	26,326
2,208	permit	/pərˈmɪt/	noun	a legal document giving official permission to do something	27,298
2,209	Italian	/ˌɪˈtæljən/	noun	a native or inhabitant of Italy	28,263
2,210	fears	/fɪrz/	noun	plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or dang…	28,622
2,211	coffee	/ˈkɑːfi/	noun	a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans	33,110
2,212	bar	/bɑːr/	noun	a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter	32,603
2,213	energy	/ˈenərdʒi/	noun	(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to d…	29,703
2,214	secure	/sɪˈkjʊr/	verb	get by special effort	33,025
2,215	senses	/ˈsensɪz/	noun	plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana	28,070
2,216	chest	/tʃest/	noun	the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding par…	29,960
2,217	audience	/ˈɑːdiəns/	noun	a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance	29,110
2,218	urged	/ɜːrdʒd/	verb	past form of “urge” — force or impel in an indicated direction	30,556
2,219	goodness	/ˈɡʊdnəs/	noun	that which is pleasing or valuable or useful	27,256
2,220	committed	/kəˈmɪtɪd/	adjective	bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude	26,032
2,221	mortal	/ˈmɔːrtəl/	adjective	subject to death	25,586
2,222	slightest	/ˈslaɪtəst/	adjective	superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree…	29,663
2,223	heavens	/ˈhevənz/	noun	the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be pro…	29,282
2,224	idle	/ˈaɪdəl/	adjective	not in action or at work	28,141
2,225	individual	/ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/	adjective	being or characteristic of a single thing or person	29,274
2,226	atmosphere	/ˈætməsfɪr/	noun	a particular environment or surrounding influence	30,171
2,227	likewise	/ˈlaɪkwaɪz/	adverb	in like or similar manner	24,670
2,228	ocean	/ˈoʊʃən/	noun	a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere	34,300
2,229	reputation	/ˌrepjəˈteɪʃən/	noun	the state of being held in high esteem and honor	27,004
2,230	noon	/nuːn/	noun	the middle of the day	30,445
2,231	chin	/tʃɪn/	noun	the protruding part of the lower jaw	28,167
2,232	throne	/θroʊn/	noun	the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.	27,077
2,233	afford	/əˈfɔːrd/	verb	be able to spare or give up	30,548
2,235	touching	/ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/	adjective	arousing affect	25,469
2,236	victory	/ˈvɪktəri/	noun	a successful ending of a struggle or contest	29,518
2,237	Christmas	/ˈkrɪsməs/	noun	period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6	38,922
2,238	constant	/ˈkɑːnstənt/	adjective	unvarying in nature	29,401
2,239	physical	/ˈfɪzɪkəl/	adjective	involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit	28,282
2,240	ends	/endz/	noun	plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length	30,697
2,241	agree	/əˈɡriː/	verb	be in accord; be in agreement	29,644
2,242	utmost	/ˈʌtmoʊst/	adjective	of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity	28,259
2,243	notion	/ˈnoʊʃən/	noun	a vague idea in which some confidence is placed	26,375
2,244	realized	/ˈriːəlaɪzd/	adjective	successfully completed or brought to an end	33,610
2,245	eating	/ˈiːtɪŋ/	noun	the act of consuming food	30,007
2,246	meantime	/ˈmiːntaɪm/	noun	the time between one event, process, or period and another	28,352
2,247	female	/ˈfiːmeɪl/	adjective	being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which …	26,593
2,248	gloomy	/ˈɡluːmi/	adjective	depressingly dark	25,736
2,249	throughout	/θruːˈaʊt/	preposition	in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period	28,967
2,250	obtained	/əbˈteɪnd/	verb	past form of “obtain” — come into possession of	32,970
2,251	sufficiently	/səˈfɪʃəntli/	adverb	to a sufficient degree	29,637
2,252	deed	/diːd/	noun	a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and t…	25,517
2,253	tiny	/ˈtaɪni/	adjective	very small	37,025
2,254	upstairs	/əpˈsterz/	adverb	on a floor above	26,521
2,255	rid	/rɪd/	verb	relieve from	27,754
2,256	sex	/seks/	noun	activities associated with sexual intercourse	22,940
2,257	reflection	/rɪˈflekʃən/	noun	a calm, lengthy, intent consideration	25,578
2,258	L	/el/	noun	a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water…	47,123
2,259	Greek	/ɡriːk/	noun	the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages	30,335
2,260	jumped	/dʒʌmpt/	verb	past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds	33,913
2,261	material	/məˈtɪriəl/	adjective	concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests	28,227
2,262	drinking	/ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ/	noun	the act of consuming liquids	26,148
2,263	treasure	/ˈtreʒər/	noun	accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.	29,490
2,264	enthusiasm	/ɪnˈθuːziæzəm/	noun	a feeling of excitement	27,948
2,265	concealed	/kənˈsiːld/	adjective	not accessible to view	27,405
2,266	practical	/ˈpræktəkəl/	adjective	concerned with actual use or practice	26,570
2,267	ugly	/ˈʌɡli/	adjective	displeasing to the senses	30,210
2,268	pace	/peɪs/	noun	the rate of moving (especially walking or running)	29,260
2,269	appeal	/əˈpiːl/	verb	take a court case to a higher court for review	28,257
2,270	ours	/ˈaʊərz/	pronoun	the one or ones belonging to us	28,344
2,271	conclusion	/kənˈkluːʒən/	noun	a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration	28,836
2,272	Elizabeth	/ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/	noun	daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on t…	30,258
2,273	lack	/læk/	noun	the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable	27,689
2,274	striking	/ˈstraɪkɪŋ/	adjective	sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect	29,182
2,275	employed	/emˈplɔɪd/	adjective	having your services engaged for; or having a job especially one that pays wages or a s…	29,453
2,276	shed	/ʃed/	verb	get rid of	27,570
2,277	popular	/ˈpɑːpjələr/	adjective	regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public	30,418
2,278	aspect	/ˈæspekt/	noun	a distinct feature or element in a problem	25,092
2,279	flashed	/flæʃt/	verb	past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently	31,233
2,280	rope	/roʊp/	noun	a strong line	38,149
2,281	seeking	/ˈsiːkɪŋ/	noun	the act of searching for something	26,754
2,282	demand	/dɪˈmænd/	noun	an urgent or peremptory request	26,033
2,283	resolution	/ˌrezəˈluːʃən/	noun	a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote	24,266
2,284	strangers	/ˈstreɪndʒərz/	noun	plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are …	27,514
2,285	skill	/skɪl/	noun	an ability that has been acquired by training	29,965
2,286	distress	/dɪˈstres/	noun	psychological suffering	27,181
2,287	belong	/bɪˈlɔːŋ/	verb	be owned by; be in the possession of	27,764
2,288	reality	/ˌriːˈælətiː/	noun	all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you	27,551
2,289	entering	/ˈentərɪŋ/	noun	a movement into or inward	26,872
2,290	prospect	/ˈprɑːspekt/	noun	the possibility of future success	28,386
2,291	ben	/ben/	noun	a mountain or tall hill	35,334
2,292	stronger	/ˈstrɔːŋər/	adjective	comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected	28,774
2,293	magic	/ˈmædʒɪk/	noun	any art that invokes supernatural powers	26,480
2,294	clock	/klɑːk/	noun	a timepiece that shows the time of day	28,397
2,295	ruth	/ruːθ/	noun	United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)	33,139
2,296	burden	/ˈbɜːrdən/	noun	an onerous or difficult concern	27,393
2,297	crept	/krept/	verb	inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body…	32,657
2,298	pink	/pɪŋk/	noun	a light shade of red	28,357
2,299	tenderness	/ˈtendərnəs/	noun	a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling	25,777
2,300	hastened	/ˈheɪsənd/	verb	past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed	27,935
2,301	flash	/flæʃ/	verb	gleam or glow intermittently	31,037
2,302	silently	/ˈsaɪləntli/	adverb	without speaking	29,939
2,303	saddle	/ˈsædəl/	verb	put a saddle on	30,999
2,304	abruptly	/əˈbrʌptli/	adverb	quickly and without warning	28,856
2,305	fetch	/fetʃ/	verb	go or come after and bring or take back	26,463
2,306	poured	/pɔːrd/	verb	past form of “pour” — cause to run	30,217
2,307	handkerchief	/ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/	noun	a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory	26,337
2,308	daughters	/ˈdɔːtərz/	noun	plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring	25,635
2,309	Lucy	/ˈluːsi/	noun	incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974	30,354
2,310	stupid	/ˈstuːpəd/	adjective	lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity	26,881
2,311	highly	/ˈhaɪli/	adverb	to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect	29,223
2,312	dearest	/ˈdɪrəst/	noun	a beloved person; used as terms of endearment	27,572
2,313	directed	/dərˈektəd/	adjective	(often used in combination) having a specified direction	29,347
2,314	driving	/ˈdraɪvɪŋ/	adjective	having the power of driving or impelling	29,953
2,315	worship	/ˈwɜːrʃəp/	verb	love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol	24,770
2,316	counsel	/ˈkaʊnsəl/	noun	a lawyer who pleads cases in court	24,390
2,317	quarrel	/ˈkwɔːrəl/	noun	an angry dispute	26,512
2,318	obey	/oʊˈbeɪ/	verb	be obedient to	25,522
2,319	exercise	/ˈeksərsaɪz/	noun	the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit	26,789
2,320	immediate	/ˌɪˈmiːdiːət/	adjective	of the present time and place	28,402
2,321	smell	/smel/	noun	the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by parti…	26,958
2,322	steadily	/ˈstedəli/	adverb	at a steady rate or pace	30,374
2,323	bones	/boʊnz/	noun	(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of w…	29,254
2,324	Jean	/dʒiːn/	noun	a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric	24,527
2,325	stirred	/stɜːrd/	adjective	being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion	27,839
2,326	chose	/tʃoʊz/	verb	inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives	26,628
2,327	secretary	/ˈsekrəteri/	noun	a person who is head of an administrative department of government	24,953
2,328	port	/pɔːrt/	noun	a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country	32,479
2,329	sheep	/ʃiːp/	noun	woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat	31,636
2,330	unexpected	/ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/	adjective	not expected or anticipated	26,378
2,331	grandfather	/ˈɡrændfɑːðər/	noun	the father of your father or mother	28,036
2,332	constantly	/ˈkɑːnstəntli/	adverb	without variation or change, in every case	28,049
2,333	contained	/kənˈteɪnd/	adjective	gotten under control	27,800
2,334	base	/beɪs/	noun	installation from which a military force initiates operations	27,456
2,335	unusual	/əˈnjuːʒuːəl/	adjective	not usual or common or ordinary	29,123
2,336	accordingly	/əˈkɔːrdɪŋli/	adverb	(sentence connectors) because of the reason given	28,789
2,337	hunting	/ˈhʌntɪŋ/	noun	the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport	29,878
2,338	sire	/ˈsaɪər/	verb	make (offspring) by reproduction	15,335
2,339	visitor	/ˈvɪzɪtər/	noun	someone who visits	27,719
2,340	fearful	/ˈfɪrfəl/	adjective	experiencing or showing fear	28,297
2,341	track	/træk/	noun	a line or route along which something travels or moves	31,288
2,342	bodies	/ˈbɑːdiz/	noun	plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or h…	28,854
2,343	enormous	/ɪˈnɔːrməs/	adjective	extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree	24,330
2,344	finish	/ˈfɪnɪʃ/	verb	come or bring to a finish or an end	28,041
2,345	rapid	/ˈræpəd/	adjective	done or occurring in a brief period of time	29,145
2,346	steel	/stiːl/	noun	an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical …	28,968
2,347	extent	/ɪkˈstent/	noun	the point or degree to which something extends	29,541
2,348	beating	/ˈbiːtɪŋ/	noun	the act of overcoming or outdoing	27,203
2,349	union	/ˈjuːnjən/	noun	an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer	26,484
2,350	doorway	/ˈdɔːrweɪ/	noun	the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building;…	27,538
2,351	crowded	/ˈkraʊdəd/	adjective	overfilled or compacted or concentrated	30,567
2,352	description	/dɪˈskrɪpʃən/	noun	a statement that represents something in words	31,291
2,353	repeat	/rɪˈpiːt/	verb	to say, state, or perform again	23,541
2,354	conviction	/kənˈvɪkʃən/	noun	an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence	24,936
2,355	scattered	/ˈskætərd/	adjective	occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space	29,071
2,356	profound	/proʊˈfaʊnd/	adjective	showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth	23,458
2,357	fancied	/ˈfænsid/	adjective	formed or conceived by the imagination	27,044
2,358	marble	/ˈmɑːrbəl/	noun	a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as…	25,723
2,359	wake	/weɪk/	verb	be awake, be alert, be there	28,241
2,360	shelter	/ˈʃeltər/	noun	a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger	32,859
2,361	rendered	/ˈrendərd/	verb	past form of “render” — cause to become	26,468
2,362	h	/eɪtʃ/	noun	a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flamma…	34,510
2,363	nearest	/ˈnɪrəst/	adverb	(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance	29,774
2,364	pick	/pɪk/	verb	select carefully from a group	33,266
2,365	subjects	/ˈsʌbdʒɪkts/	noun	plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion	26,193
2,366	becomes	/bɪˈkʌmz/	verb	third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition	25,734
2,367	kingdom	/ˈkɪŋdəm/	noun	a domain in which something is dominant	28,891
2,368	severe	/səˈvɪr/	adjective	intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality	27,844
2,369	chapter	/ˈtʃæptər/	noun	a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled	37,799
2,370	farmer	/ˈfɑːrmər/	noun	a person who operates a farm	30,492
2,371	troops	/truːps/	noun	soldiers collectively	31,540
2,372	sorts	/sɔːrts/	noun	plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or …	27,101
2,373	missed	/mɪst/	adjective	not caught with the senses or the mind	29,126
2,374	parties	/ˈpɑːrtiz/	noun	plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power	28,814
2,375	wandering	/ˈwɑːndərɪŋ/	adjective	migratory	25,234
2,376	misfortune	/mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/	noun	unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event	22,337
2,377	settle	/ˈsetəl/	verb	settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground	28,143
2,378	suggestion	/səˈdʒestʃən/	noun	an idea that is suggested	28,211
2,379	venture	/ˈventʃər/	noun	any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome	27,472
2,380	fourth	/fɔːrθ/	noun	following the third position; number four in a countable series	28,959
2,381	lift	/lɪft/	verb	raise from a lower to a higher position	28,114
2,382	betrayed	/bɪˈtreɪd/	verb	past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally	22,100
2,383	wedding	/ˈwedɪŋ/	noun	the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed	28,053
2,384	motionless	/ˈmoʊʃənləs/	adjective	not in physical motion	24,225
2,385	victim	/ˈvɪktəm/	noun	an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance	24,738
2,386	absolute	/ˈæbsəluːt/	adjective	perfect or complete or pure	24,640
2,387	hunt	/hʌnt/	verb	pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)	29,701
2,388	June	/dʒuːn/	noun	the month following May and preceding July	29,223
2,389	control	/kənˈtroʊl/	noun	power to direct or determine	30,270
2,390	tear	/ter/	verb	separate or cause to separate abruptly	26,402
2,391	elder	/ˈeldər/	noun	a person who is older than you are	30,059
2,392	swung	/swʌŋ/	verb	inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting	32,406
2,393	raising	/ˈreɪzɪŋ/	noun	the event of something being raised upward	24,268
2,394	solid	/ˈsɑːləd/	adjective	characterized by good substantial quality	25,885
2,395	suspect	/səˈspekt/	verb	imagine to be the case or true or probable	25,363
2,396	mate	/meɪt/	noun	the officer below the master on a commercial ship	31,948
2,397	acted	/ˈæktɪd/	verb	past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)	28,088
2,398	treat	/triːt/	verb	interact in a certain way	26,590
2,399	manage	/ˈmænədʒ/	verb	be successful; achieve a goal	29,875
2,400	deny	/dɪˈnaɪ/	verb	declare untrue; contradict	24,517
2,401	fame	/feɪm/	noun	the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed	27,676
2,402	newspaper	/ˈnuːzpeɪpər/	noun	a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertis…	24,924
2,403	introduced	/ˌɪntrəˈduːst/	verb	past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally	27,746
2,404	flushed	/flʌʃt/	adjective	having the pinkish flush of health	28,468
2,405	daylight	/ˈdeɪlaɪt/	noun	the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside	26,777
2,406	Pierre	/piˈer/	noun	capital of the state of South Dakota; located in central South Dakota on the Missouri r…	22,472

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