The most common English words
This table is a measurement of our own library. Every word in 173,499 published chapters was counted — 210,375,850 word occurrences across 12,550 books — 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.
Learn it in bands
Ranks 601 onward
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| Rank | Word | Sound | Part of speech | Meaning | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 601 | England | /ˈɪŋɡlənd/ | noun | a division of the United Kingdom | 32,249 |
| 602 | Monsieur | /məˈsjɜːr/ | noun | used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr” | 32,198 |
| 603 | account | /əˈkaʊnt/ | noun | a record or narrative description of past events | 32,033 |
| 604 | party | /ˈpɑːrti/ | noun | an organization to gain political power | 31,935 |
| 605 | mouth | /maʊθ/ | noun | the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge | 31,919 |
| 606 | nearly | /ˈnɪrli/ | adverb | (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but | 31,877 |
| 607 | paper | /ˈpeɪpər/ | noun | a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses | 31,809 |
| 608 | send | /send/ | verb | cause to go somewhere | 31,769 |
| 609 | presence | /ˈprezəns/ | noun | the state of being present; current existence | 31,680 |
| 610 | character | /ˈkerɪktər/ | noun | an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story) | 31,617 |
| 611 | heavy | /ˈhevi/ | adjective | of comparatively great physical weight or density | 31,532 |
| 612 | wrong | /rɔːŋ/ | adjective | not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth | 31,476 |
| 613 | waiting | /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ | noun | the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something) | 31,465 |
| 614 | London | /ˈlʌndən/ | noun | the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England;… | 31,414 |
| 615 | getting | /ˈɡetɪŋ/ | noun | the act of acquiring something | 31,397 |
| 616 | married | /ˈmerid/ | adjective | joined in matrimony | 31,182 |
| 617 | aunt | /ænt/ | noun | the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle | 31,169 |
| 618 | queen | /kwiːn/ | noun | the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termite… | 31,163 |
| 619 | started | /ˈstɑːrtɪd/ | verb | past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action | 31,158 |
| 620 | moved | /muːvd/ | adjective | being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion | 31,068 |
| 621 | desire | /dɪˈzaɪər/ | noun | the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state | 31,055 |
| 622 | boys | /bɔɪz/ | noun | plural of “boy” — a youthful male person | 31,025 |
| 623 | trees | /triːz/ | noun | plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches formin… | 30,895 |
| 624 | joy | /dʒɔɪ/ | noun | the emotion of great happiness | 30,892 |
| 625 | figure | /ˈfɪɡjər/ | noun | a diagram or picture illustrating textual material | 30,877 |
| 626 | miles | /maɪlz/ | noun | plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.34… | 30,715 |
| 627 | week | /wiːk/ | noun | any period of seven consecutive days | 30,613 |
| 628 | youth | /juːθ/ | noun | a young person (especially a young man or boy) | 30,607 |
| 629 | instead | /ˌɪnˈsted/ | adverb | in place of, or as an alternative to | 30,591 |
| 630 | wall | /wɔːl/ | noun | an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to… | 30,411 |
| 631 | quickly | /ˈkwɪkli/ | adverb | with speed | 30,403 |
| 632 | presently | /ˈprezəntli/ | adverb | in the near future | 30,351 |
| 633 | sit | /sɪt/ | verb | be seated | 30,206 |
| 634 | length | /leŋkθ/ | noun | the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of somethin… | 30,135 |
| 635 | died | /daɪd/ | verb | past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functio… | 30,073 |
| 636 | write | /raɪt/ | verb | produce a literary work | 29,986 |
| 637 | attention | /əˈtenʃən/ | noun | the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (r… | 29,971 |
| 638 | common | /ˈkɑːmən/ | adjective | belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public | 29,959 |
| 639 | garden | /ˈɡɑːrdən/ | noun | a plot of ground where plants are cultivated | 29,848 |
| 640 | court | /kɔːrt/ | noun | an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business | 29,835 |
| 641 | sudden | /ˈsʌdən/ | adjective | happening without warning or in a short space of time | 29,783 |
| 642 | sitting | /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ | noun | (photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait) | 29,766 |
| 643 | whatever | /ˌwʌˈtevər/ | determiner | any or all of a kind, it does not matter which | 29,763 |
| 644 | showed | /ʃoʊd/ | verb | past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience | 29,688 |
| 645 | rich | /rɪtʃ/ | adjective | possessing material wealth | 29,672 |
| 646 | turning | /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/ | noun | the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course | 29,670 |
| 647 | besides | /bɪˈsaɪdz/ | preposition | in addition to; as well as | 29,618 |
| 648 | broken | /ˈbroʊkən/ | adjective | physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split | 29,537 |
| 649 | view | /vjuː/ | noun | a way of regarding situations or topics etc. | 29,524 |
| 650 | makes | /meɪks/ | noun | plural of “make” — a recognizable kind | 29,503 |
| 651 | floor | /flɔːr/ | noun | the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure) | 29,368 |
| 652 | laugh | /læf/ | noun | the sound of laughing | 29,330 |
| 653 | cry | /kraɪ/ | verb | utter a sudden loud cry | 29,280 |
| 654 | public | /ˈpʌblɪk/ | noun | people in general considered as a whole | 29,262 |
| 655 | horses | /ˈhɔːrsəz/ | noun | plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric t… | 29,116 |
| 656 | distance | /ˈdɪstəns/ | noun | the property created by the space between two objects or points | 29,102 |
| 657 | strength | /streŋkθ/ | noun | the property of being physically or mentally strong | 29,097 |
| 658 | French | /frentʃ/ | noun | the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France | 29,065 |
| 659 | ladies | /ˈleɪdiz/ | noun | plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman | 29,022 |
| 660 | thank | /θæŋk/ | verb | express gratitude or show appreciation to | 28,888 |
| 661 | necessary | /ˈnesəseri/ | adjective | absolutely essential | 28,846 |
| 662 | talking | /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/ | noun | an exchange of ideas via conversation | 28,772 |
| 663 | hall | /hɔːl/ | noun | an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open | 28,744 |
| 664 | raised | /reɪzd/ | adjective | located or moved above the surround or above the normal position | 28,732 |
| 665 | peace | /piːs/ | noun | the state prevailing during the absence of war | 28,627 |
| 666 | bit | /bɪt/ | noun | a small piece or quantity of something | 28,605 |
| 667 | following | /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/ | adjective | about to be mentioned or specified | 28,540 |
| 668 | expression | /ɪkˈspreʃən/ | noun | the feelings expressed on a person's face | 28,537 |
| 669 | girls | /ɡɜːrlz/ | noun | plural of “girl” — a young female | 28,525 |
| 670 | conversation | /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/ | noun | the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc. | 28,523 |
| 671 | corner | /ˈkɔːrnər/ | noun | a place off to the side of an area | 28,481 |
| 672 | filled | /fɪld/ | adjective | (usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with | 28,441 |
| 673 | easy | /ˈiːzi/ | adjective | posing no difficulty; requiring little effort | 28,351 |
| 674 | office | /ˈɔːfɪs/ | noun | place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed | 28,156 |
| 675 | natural | /ˈnætʃərəl/ | adjective | in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature | 28,045 |
| 676 | Mary | /ˈmeri/ | noun | the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially hono… | 27,942 |
| 677 | broke | /broʊk/ | adjective | lacking funds | 27,937 |
| 678 | follow | /ˈfɑːloʊ/ | verb | to travel behind, go after, come after | 27,918 |
| 679 | act | /ækt/ | verb | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action) | 27,859 |
| 680 | meant | /ment/ | verb | inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey | 27,804 |
| 681 | written | /ˈrɪtən/ | adjective | set down in writing in any of various ways | 27,802 |
| 682 | bright | /braɪt/ | adjective | emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts | 27,772 |
| 683 | afternoon | /ˌæftərˈnuːn/ | noun | the part of the day between noon and evening | 27,742 |
| 684 | months | /mʌnθs/ | noun | plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year | 27,582 |
| 685 | duty | /ˈduːti/ | noun | the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force | 27,577 |
| 686 | worth | /wɜːrθ/ | noun | an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value | 27,557 |
| 687 | wished | /wɪʃt/ | verb | past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish | 27,540 |
| 688 | letters | /ˈletərz/ | noun | the literary culture | 27,476 |
| 689 | service | /ˈsɜːrvəs/ | noun | work done by one person or group that benefits another | 27,439 |
| 690 | below | /bɪˈloʊ/ | preposition | at or to a lower level than something | 27,421 |
| 691 | number | /ˈnʌmbər/ | noun | the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals | 27,411 |
| 692 | purpose | /ˈpɜːrpəs/ | noun | an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions | 27,399 |
| 693 | pale | /peɪl/ | adjective | very light colored; highly diluted with white | 27,392 |
| 694 | usual | /ˈjuːʒəwəl/ | adjective | occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with re… | 27,135 |
| 695 | stop | /stɑːp/ | verb | come to a halt, stop moving | 27,107 |
| 696 | watch | /wɑːtʃ/ | verb | look attentively | 27,069 |
| 697 | law | /lɔː/ | noun | the collection of rules imposed by authority | 27,067 |
| 698 | shook | /ʃʊk/ | noun | a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment | 27,022 |
| 699 | speaking | /ˈspiːkɪŋ/ | noun | the utterance of intelligible speech | 26,929 |
| 700 | effect | /ɪˈfekt/ | noun | a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon | 26,883 |
| 701 | immediately | /ˌɪˈmiːdiːətli/ | adverb | without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening | 26,869 |
| 702 | straight | /streɪt/ | adjective | successive (without a break) | 26,855 |
| 703 | visit | /ˈvɪzɪt/ | verb | go to see a place, as for entertainment | 26,851 |
| 704 | hat | /hæt/ | noun | headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim | 26,798 |
| 705 | trying | /ˈtraɪɪŋ/ | adjective | hard to endure | 26,758 |
| 706 | smiled | /smaɪld/ | verb | past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to s… | 26,744 |
| 707 | breath | /breθ/ | noun | the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing | 26,623 |
| 708 | beneath | /bɪˈniːθ/ | preposition | Directly under; in or to a lower position than. | 26,594 |
| 709 | force | /fɔːrs/ | noun | a powerful effect or influence | 26,576 |
| 710 | forget | /fərˈɡet/ | verb | dismiss from the mind; stop remembering | 26,552 |
| 711 | learned | /lɜːrnd/ | adjective | having or showing profound knowledge | 26,516 |
| 712 | boat | /boʊt/ | noun | a small vessel for travel on water | 26,507 |
| 713 | em | /em/ | noun | a quad with a square body | 26,497 |
| 714 | twenty | /ˈtwenti/ | noun | the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one | 26,410 |
| 715 | step | /step/ | noun | any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal | 26,385 |
| 716 | leaving | /ˈliːvɪŋ/ | noun | the act of departing | 26,370 |
| 717 | impossible | /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/ | adjective | not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with | 26,367 |
| 718 | glance | /ɡlæns/ | verb | throw a glance at; take a brief look at | 26,363 |
| 719 | closed | /kloʊzd/ | adjective | not open or affording passage or access | 26,346 |
| 720 | probably | /ˈprɑːbəbliː/ | adverb | with considerable certainty; without much doubt | 26,215 |
| 721 | outside | /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/ | adjective | relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit | 26,168 |
| 722 | placed | /pleɪst/ | adjective | situated in a particular spot or position | 26,144 |
| 723 | noble | /ˈnoʊbəl/ | adjective | impressive in appearance | 26,032 |
| 724 | steps | /steps/ | noun | a flight of stairs or a flight of steps | 25,981 |
| 725 | knowledge | /ˈnɑːlədʒ/ | noun | the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning | 25,954 |
| 726 | news | /nuːz/ | noun | information about recent and important events | 25,834 |
| 727 | stone | /stoʊn/ | noun | a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter | 25,771 |
| 728 | ship | /ʃɪp/ | verb | transport commercially | 25,768 |
| 729 | surprise | /sərˈpraɪz/ | noun | the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you | 25,761 |
| 730 | books | /bʊks/ | noun | Bound written or printed works. | 25,708 |
| 731 | appearance | /əˈpɪrəns/ | noun | outward or visible aspect of a person or thing | 25,684 |
| 732 | terrible | /ˈterəbəl/ | adjective | causing fear or dread or terror | 25,558 |
| 733 | future | /ˈfjuːtʃər/ | adjective | yet to be or coming | 25,518 |
| 734 | opinion | /əˈpɪnjən/ | noun | a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty | 25,496 |
| 735 | count | /kaʊnt/ | verb | determine the number or amount of | 25,452 |
| 736 | sorry | /ˈsɑːri/ | adjective | feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone | 25,410 |
| 737 | expected | /ɪkˈspektəd/ | adjective | considered likely or probable to happen or arrive | 25,337 |
| 738 | society | /səˈsaɪəti/ | noun | an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization | 25,329 |
| 739 | hath | /hæθ/ | auxiliary verb | an old form of “has” | 25,324 |
| 740 | fight | /faɪt/ | verb | be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight | 25,232 |
| 741 | minute | /ˈmɪnət/ | noun | a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour | 25,227 |
| 742 | scene | /siːn/ | noun | the place where some action occurs | 25,227 |
| 743 | happiness | /ˈhæpinəs/ | noun | state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy | 25,215 |
| 744 | scarcely | /ˈskersli/ | adverb | only a very short time before | 25,198 |
| 745 | fresh | /freʃ/ | adjective | recently made, produced, or harvested | 25,194 |
| 746 | beginning | /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/ | noun | the event consisting of the start of something | 25,175 |
| 747 | Paris | /ˈperɪs/ | noun | the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce | 25,167 |
| 748 | note | /noʊt/ | noun | a brief written record | 25,128 |
| 749 | dress | /dres/ | verb | put on clothes | 25,093 |
| 750 | marriage | /ˈmerɪdʒ/ | noun | the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce) | 25,049 |
| 751 | looks | /lʊks/ | noun | plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face | 24,986 |
| 752 | plain | /pleɪn/ | adjective | clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment | 24,961 |
| 753 | marry | /ˈmeri/ | verb | take in marriage | 24,955 |
| 754 | carry | /ˈkæri/ | verb | move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body | 24,894 |
| 755 | tree | /triː/ | noun | a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevat… | 24,887 |
| 756 | reply | /rɪˈplaɪ/ | noun | a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request o… | 24,821 |
| 757 | fortune | /ˈfɔːrtʃən/ | noun | an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather t… | 24,794 |
| 758 | dog | /dɔːɡ/ | noun | a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been dom… | 24,778 |
| 759 | goes | /ɡoʊz/ | noun | plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone… | 24,778 |
| 760 | gentlemen | /ˈdʒentəlmɪn/ | noun | plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement | 24,712 |
| 761 | threw | /θruː/ | verb | inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air | 24,648 |
| 762 | ill | /ɪl/ | adjective | affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function | 24,638 |
| 763 | giving | /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/ | noun | the act of giving | 24,626 |
| 764 | soft | /sɑːft/ | adjective | yielding readily to pressure or weight | 24,434 |
| 765 | George | /dʒɔːrdʒ/ | noun | Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the D… | 24,431 |
| 766 | grace | /ɡreɪs/ | noun | (Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under su… | 24,394 |
| 767 | danger | /ˈdeɪndʒər/ | noun | the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury | 24,391 |
| 768 | lie | /laɪ/ | verb | be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position | 24,320 |
| 769 | arrived | /ərˈaɪvd/ | verb | past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress | 24,280 |
| 770 | instant | /ˈɪnstənt/ | noun | a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat) | 24,206 |
| 771 | wrote | /roʊt/ | verb | inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work | 24,107 |
| 772 | school | /skuːl/ | noun | an educational institution | 24,098 |
| 773 | fast | /fæst/ | adverb | quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form) | 23,968 |
| 774 | single | /ˈsɪŋɡəl/ | adjective | being or characteristic of a single thing or person | 23,883 |
| 775 | repeated | /rɪˈpiːtɪd/ | adjective | recurring again and again | 23,860 |
| 776 | sky | /skaɪ/ | noun | the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth | 23,841 |
| 777 | simple | /ˈsɪmpəl/ | adjective | having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved | 23,830 |
| 778 | glass | /ɡlæs/ | noun | a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure | 23,704 |
| 779 | worse | /wɜːrs/ | adjective | (comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability | 23,665 |
| 780 | watched | /wɑːtʃt/ | verb | past form of “watch” — look attentively | 23,647 |
| 781 | changed | /tʃeɪndʒd/ | adjective | made or become different in nature or form | 23,644 |
| 782 | listen | /ˈlɪsən/ | verb | hear with intention | 23,615 |
| 783 | top | /tɑːp/ | noun | the upper part of anything | 23,590 |
| 784 | paid | /peɪd/ | adjective | marked by the reception of pay | 23,543 |
| 785 | enter | /ˈentər/ | verb | to come or go into | 23,469 |
| 786 | honour | /ˈɑːnər/ | noun | the state of being honored | 23,367 |
| 787 | quick | /kwɪk/ | adjective | accomplished rapidly and without delay | 23,346 |
| 788 | ears | /ɪrz/ | noun | plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium | 23,326 |
| 789 | pleased | /pliːzd/ | adjective | experiencing or manifesting pleasure | 23,228 |
| 790 | village | /ˈvɪlədʒ/ | noun | a community of people smaller than a town | 23,226 |
| 791 | chief | /tʃiːf/ | noun | a person who is in charge | 23,171 |
| 792 | somewhat | /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/ | adverb | to a small degree or extent | 23,157 |
| 793 | trust | /trʌst/ | noun | something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the… | 23,140 |
| 794 | sake | /seɪk/ | noun | a reason for wanting something done | 23,130 |
| 795 | eat | /iːt/ | verb | take in solid food | 23,121 |
| 796 | perfectly | /ˈpɜːrfəktli/ | adverb | completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers | 23,027 |
| 797 | object | /ˈɑːbdʒekt/ | noun | a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow | 23,024 |
| 798 | touch | /tʌtʃ/ | verb | make physical contact with, come in contact with | 22,942 |
| 799 | dropped | /drɑːpt/ | verb | inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground | 22,931 |
| 800 | pleasant | /ˈplezənt/ | adjective | affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings | 22,872 |
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