The most common English words
This table is a measurement of our own library. Every word in 191,625 published chapters was counted — 210,375,850 word occurrences across 13,850 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 1,001 onward
Click the speaker to hear a word. Open a word to meet it inside real chapters.
| Rank | Word | Sound | Part of speech | Meaning | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,002 | breakfast | /ˈbrekfəst/ | verb | eat an early morning meal | 18,249 |
| 1,003 | walking | /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ | adjective | close enough to be walked to | 18,196 |
| 1,004 | windows | /ˈwɪndoʊz/ | noun | (trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface | 18,192 |
| 1,005 | tis | /tɪz/ | noun | plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used… | 18,186 |
| 1,006 | persons | /ˈpɜːrsənz/ | noun | plural of “person” — a human being | 18,185 |
| 1,007 | blow | /bloʊ/ | verb | exhale hard | 18,181 |
| 1,008 | gray | /ɡreɪ/ | noun | a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black | 18,173 |
| 1,009 | knight | /naɪt/ | noun | originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain… | 18,159 |
| 1,010 | former | /ˈfɔːrmər/ | adjective | referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones o… | 18,147 |
| 1,011 | fifty | /ˈfɪfti/ | noun | the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five | 18,120 |
| 1,012 | evidently | /ˈevədəntli/ | adverb | unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”) | 18,119 |
| 1,013 | comfort | /ˈkʌmfərt/ | noun | a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain | 18,096 |
| 1,014 | determined | /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/ | adjective | characterized by great determination | 18,067 |
| 1,015 | burst | /bɜːrst/ | verb | come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure | 18,060 |
| 1,016 | writing | /ˈraɪtɪŋ/ | noun | the act of creating written works | 18,045 |
| 1,017 | decided | /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/ | adjective | recognizable; marked | 18,041 |
| 1,018 | ways | /weɪz/ | noun | structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are … | 18,024 |
| 1,019 | west | /west/ | noun | the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America | 18,005 |
| 1,020 | offer | /ˈɔːfər/ | verb | make available or accessible, provide or furnish | 17,981 |
| 1,021 | lead | /led/ | verb | take somebody somewhere | 17,976 |
| 1,022 | path | /pæθ/ | noun | a course of conduct | 17,962 |
| 1,023 | march | /mɑːrtʃ/ | verb | march in a procession | 17,939 |
| 1,024 | eight | /eɪt/ | adjective | being one more than seven | 17,891 |
| 1,025 | remarked | /rɪˈmɑːrkt/ | verb | past form of “remark” — make mention of | 17,891 |
| 1,026 | difficult | /ˈdɪfəkəlt/ | adjective | not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endu… | 17,878 |
| 1,027 | curious | /ˈkjʊriəs/ | adjective | beyond or deviating from the usual or expected | 17,872 |
| 1,028 | field | /fiːld/ | noun | a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed | 17,862 |
| 1,029 | weeks | /wiːks/ | noun | plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days | 17,855 |
| 1,030 | hurt | /hɜːrt/ | verb | be the source of pain | 17,845 |
| 1,031 | noticed | /ˈnoʊtəst/ | adjective | being perceived or observed | 17,835 |
| 1,032 | justice | /ˈdʒʌstəs/ | noun | the quality of being just or fair | 17,818 |
| 1,033 | north | /nɔːrθ/ | noun | the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line | 17,784 |
| 1,034 | study | /ˈstʌdi/ | noun | a detailed critical inspection | 17,760 |
| 1,035 | mighty | /ˈmaɪti/ | adjective | having or showing great strength or force or intensity | 17,752 |
| 1,036 | board | /bɔːrd/ | noun | a committee having supervisory powers | 17,741 |
| 1,037 | dressed | /drest/ | adjective | dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination | 17,730 |
| 1,038 | York | /jɔːrk/ | noun | the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 14… | 17,717 |
| 1,039 | situation | /ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/ | noun | the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time | 17,701 |
| 1,040 | houses | /ˈhaʊsəz/ | noun | plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families | 17,677 |
| 1,041 | fashion | /ˈfæʃən/ | noun | how something is done or how it happens | 17,672 |
| 1,042 | delight | /dɪˈlaɪt/ | verb | give pleasure to or be pleasing to | 17,669 |
| 1,043 | lines | /laɪnz/ | noun | plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another | 17,639 |
| 1,044 | month | /mʌnθ/ | noun | one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year | 17,636 |
| 1,045 | effort | /ˈefərt/ | noun | earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something | 17,623 |
| 1,046 | enemy | /ˈenəmi/ | noun | an opposing military force | 17,614 |
| 1,047 | questions | /ˈkwestʃənz/ | noun | plural of “question” — an instance of questioning | 17,595 |
| 1,048 | opportunity | /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti/ | noun | a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances | 17,511 |
| 1,049 | lifted | /ˈlɪftəd/ | adjective | held up in the air | 17,508 |
| 1,050 | obliged | /əˈblaɪdʒd/ | adjective | under a moral obligation to do something | 17,492 |
| 1,051 | success | /səkˈses/ | noun | an event that accomplishes its intended purpose | 17,480 |
| 1,052 | handsome | /ˈhænsəm/ | adjective | pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proport… | 17,425 |
| 1,053 | tongue | /tʌŋ/ | noun | a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral c… | 17,393 |
| 1,054 | hotel | /hoʊˈtel/ | noun | a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services | 17,368 |
| 1,055 | rise | /raɪz/ | verb | move upward | 17,368 |
| 1,056 | nay | /neɪ/ | exclamation | an old word for “no” | 17,365 |
| 1,057 | influence | /ˈɪnfluːəns/ | noun | a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc | 17,360 |
| 1,058 | legs | /leɡz/ | noun | staying power | 17,343 |
| 1,059 | cousin | /ˈkʌzən/ | noun | the child of your aunt or uncle | 17,281 |
| 1,060 | cross | /krɔːs/ | verb | travel across or pass over | 17,261 |
| 1,061 | command | /kəˈmænd/ | noun | an authoritative direction or instruction to do something | 17,238 |
| 1,062 | twice | /twaɪs/ | adverb | two times | 17,231 |
| 1,063 | forced | /fɔːrst/ | adjective | produced by or subjected to forcing | 17,227 |
| 1,064 | camp | /kæmp/ | noun | temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers | 17,190 |
| 1,065 | rode | /roʊd/ | verb | inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controll… | 17,180 |
| 1,066 | worthy | /ˈwɜːr.ði/ | adjective | Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or mag… | 17,177 |
| 1,067 | considered | /kənˈsɪdərd/ | adjective | carefully weighed | 17,138 |
| 1,068 | rock | /rɑːk/ | noun | a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter | 17,119 |
| 1,069 | yellow | /ˈjeloʊ/ | adjective | of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something … | 17,100 |
| 1,070 | language | /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/ | noun | a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols | 17,063 |
| 1,071 | moon | /muːn/ | noun | the natural satellite of the Earth | 17,048 |
| 1,072 | wore | /wɔːr/ | verb | inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in | 17,033 |
| 1,073 | knees | /niːz/ | noun | plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with th… | 17,030 |
| 1,074 | allow | /əˈlaʊ/ | verb | make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen | 17,022 |
| 1,075 | calm | /kɑːm/ | verb | make calm or still | 17,010 |
| 1,076 | confidence | /ˈkɑːnfədəns/ | noun | freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities | 17,006 |
| 1,077 | empty | /ˈempti/ | verb | make void or empty of contents | 16,998 |
| 1,078 | attempt | /əˈtempt/ | noun | earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something | 16,988 |
| 1,079 | lovely | /ˈlʌvli/ | adjective | appealing to the emotions as well as the eye | 16,933 |
| 1,080 | opposite | /ˈɑːpəzət/ | adjective | being directly across from each other; facing | 16,928 |
| 1,081 | grass | /ɡræs/ | verb | shoot down, of birds | 16,922 |
| 1,082 | ones | /wʌnz/ | noun | plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number | 16,921 |
| 1,083 | coat | /koʊt/ | noun | an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors | 16,920 |
| 1,084 | Henry | /ˈhenri/ | noun | a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced wh… | 16,909 |
| 1,085 | ourselves | /aʊərˈselvz/ | pronoun | used when we are both doing the action and receiving it | 16,874 |
| 1,086 | important | /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/ | adjective | of great significance or value | 16,870 |
| 1,087 | noise | /nɔɪz/ | noun | sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound) | 16,854 |
| 1,088 | regard | /rɪˈɡɑːrd/ | noun | (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point | 16,822 |
| 1,089 | according | /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/ | adjective | (followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with | 16,821 |
| 1,090 | thick | /θɪk/ | adjective | not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the… | 16,819 |
| 1,091 | altogether | /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/ | adverb | to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally … | 16,809 |
| 1,092 | mountain | /ˈmaʊntən/ | noun | a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill | 16,806 |
| 1,093 | prepared | /priˈperd/ | adjective | made ready or fit or suitable beforehand | 16,798 |
| 1,094 | action | /ˈækʃən/ | noun | something done (usually as opposed to something said) | 16,755 |
| 1,095 | played | /pleɪd/ | adjective | (of games) engaged in | 16,749 |
| 1,096 | broad | /brɔːd/ | adjective | having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other | 16,740 |
| 1,097 | streets | /striːts/ | noun | plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with bu… | 16,740 |
| 1,098 | palace | /ˈpæləs/ | noun | a large and stately mansion | 16,728 |
| 1,099 | song | /sɔːŋ/ | noun | a short musical composition with words | 16,722 |
| 1,100 | supposed | /səˈpoʊzd/ | adjective | required or under orders | 16,720 |
| 1,101 | alive | /əˈlaɪv/ | adjective | possessing life | 16,701 |
| 1,102 | thin | /θɪn/ | adjective | Having little thickness or extent. | 16,678 |
| 1,103 | hearing | /ˈhiːrɪŋ/ | noun | (law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of dete… | 16,676 |
| 1,104 | race | /reɪs/ | noun | any competition | 16,658 |
| 1,105 | dollars | /ˈdɑːlərz/ | noun | plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents | 16,638 |
| 1,106 | drive | /draɪv/ | verb | operate or control a vehicle | 16,599 |
| 1,107 | yesterday | /ˈjestərdeɪ/ | noun | the day immediately before today | 16,586 |
| 1,108 | papers | /ˈpeɪpərz/ | noun | writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature) | 16,573 |
| 1,109 | grand | /ɡrænd/ | adjective | of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope | 16,570 |
| 1,110 | explained | /ɪkˈspleɪnd/ | verb | past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible | 16,557 |
| 1,111 | shame | /ʃeɪm/ | noun | a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt | 16,551 |
| 1,112 | result | /rɪˈzʌlt/ | noun | a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon | 16,543 |
| 1,113 | ceased | /siːst/ | verb | past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity | 16,542 |
| 1,114 | ring | /rɪŋ/ | verb | sound loudly and sonorously | 16,536 |
| 1,115 | seated | /ˈsiːtɪd/ | adjective | (of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttoc… | 16,507 |
| 1,116 | seized | /siːzd/ | verb | past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab | 16,491 |
| 1,117 | rain | /reɪn/ | noun | water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere | 16,481 |
| 1,118 | carefully | /ˈkerfəli/ | adverb | taking care or paying attention | 16,460 |
| 1,119 | meaning | /ˈmiːnɪŋ/ | noun | the message that is intended or expressed or signified | 16,456 |
| 1,120 | government | /ˈɡʌvərmənt/ | noun | the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit | 16,443 |
| 1,121 | passage | /ˈpæsədʒ/ | noun | the act of passing from one state or place to the next | 16,360 |
| 1,122 | sought | /sɔːt/ | adjective | that is looked for | 16,355 |
| 1,123 | orders | /ˈɔːrdərz/ | noun | plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or l… | 16,352 |
| 1,124 | inside | /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/ | adjective | relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space | 16,316 |
| 1,125 | paused | /pɔːzd/ | verb | past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing | 16,281 |
| 1,126 | moments | /ˈmoʊmənts/ | noun | plural of “moment” — a particular point in time | 16,279 |
| 1,127 | pardon | /ˈpɑːrdən/ | verb | accept an excuse for | 16,263 |
| 1,128 | settled | /ˈsetəld/ | adjective | established or decided beyond dispute or doubt | 16,251 |
| 1,129 | taste | /teɪst/ | verb | To perceive flavor through the mouth. | 16,249 |
| 1,130 | satisfied | /ˈsætəsfaɪd/ | adjective | filled with satisfaction | 16,242 |
| 1,131 | personal | /ˈpɜːrsɪnəl/ | adjective | concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality | 16,228 |
| 1,132 | ancient | /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/ | adjective | Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered. | 16,224 |
| 1,133 | narrow | /ˈneroʊ/ | verb | make or become more narrow or restricted | 16,221 |
| 1,134 | loud | /laʊd/ | adjective | characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity | 16,217 |
| 1,135 | thrown | /θroʊn/ | adjective | caused to fall to the ground | 16,210 |
| 1,136 | receive | /rəˈsiːv/ | verb | get something; come into possession of | 16,204 |
| 1,137 | opening | /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/ | noun | an open or empty space in or between things | 16,202 |
| 1,138 | health | /helθ/ | noun | a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease | 16,197 |
| 1,139 | plan | /plæn/ | verb | have the will and intention to carry out some action | 16,195 |
| 1,140 | affair | /əˈfer/ | noun | a vaguely specified concern | 16,177 |
| 1,141 | countenance | /ˈkaʊntənəns/ | noun | the appearance conveyed by a person's face | 16,177 |
| 1,142 | difficulty | /ˈdɪfəkəlti/ | noun | an effort that is inconvenient | 16,175 |
| 1,143 | ride | /raɪd/ | verb | sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions | 16,175 |
| 1,144 | snow | /snoʊ/ | noun | precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals | 16,172 |
| 1,145 | pointed | /ˈpɔɪntɪd/ | adjective | having a point | 16,170 |
| 1,146 | putting | /ˈpʌtɪŋ/ | noun | hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter | 16,160 |
| 1,147 | royal | /ˈrɔɪəl/ | adjective | of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other m… | 16,147 |
| 1,148 | beat | /biːt/ | verb | come out better in a competition, race, or conflict | 16,117 |
| 1,149 | caused | /kɑːzd/ | verb | past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally | 16,081 |
| 1,150 | Harry | /ˈheri/ | verb | annoy continually or chronically | 16,072 |
| 1,151 | various | /ˈveriəs/ | adjective | of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity | 16,010 |
| 1,152 | finding | /ˈfaɪndɪŋ/ | noun | the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation | 15,983 |
| 1,153 | nose | /noʊz/ | noun | the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the fac… | 15,972 |
| 1,154 | slight | /slaɪt/ | noun | a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval) | 15,956 |
| 1,155 | soldiers | /ˈsoʊldʒərz/ | noun | plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army | 15,947 |
| 1,156 | bill | /bɪl/ | noun | a statute in draft before it becomes law | 15,942 |
| 1,157 | aware | /əˈwer/ | adjective | (sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realizatio… | 15,928 |
| 1,158 | proper | /ˈprɑːpər/ | adjective | marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness | 15,921 |
| 1,159 | smoke | /smoʊk/ | noun | a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas | 15,908 |
| 1,160 | greatest | /ˈɡreɪtəst/ | adjective | highest in quality | 15,869 |
| 1,161 | brave | /breɪv/ | adjective | possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without fli… | 15,867 |
| 1,162 | supper | /ˈsʌpər/ | noun | a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in … | 15,832 |
| 1,163 | teeth | /tiːθ/ | noun | the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal | 15,832 |
| 1,164 | welcome | /ˈwelkəm/ | verb | accept gladly | 15,812 |
| 1,165 | devil | /ˈdevəl/ | noun | (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; temp… | 15,806 |
| 1,166 | dry | /draɪ/ | adjective | free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; … | 15,805 |
| 1,167 | interrupted | /ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd/ | adjective | discontinued temporarily | 15,800 |
| 1,168 | iron | /ˈaɪərn/ | noun | a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rus… | 15,784 |
| 1,169 | keeping | /ˈkiːpɪŋ/ | noun | conformity or harmony | 15,767 |
| 1,170 | lower | /ˈloʊər/ | verb | move something or somebody to a lower position | 15,753 |
| 1,171 | kissed | /kɪst/ | verb | past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or… | 15,729 |
| 1,172 | suggested | /səˈdʒestɪd/ | verb | past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something | 15,705 |
| 1,173 | imagine | /ˌɪˈmædʒən/ | verb | form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case | 15,680 |
| 1,174 | pair | /per/ | noun | a set of two similar things considered as a unit | 15,655 |
| 1,175 | servants | /ˈsɜːrvənts/ | noun | plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the hou… | 15,643 |
| 1,176 | faint | /feɪnt/ | adjective | deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness e… | 15,627 |
| 1,177 | square | /skwer/ | verb | make square | 15,603 |
| 1,178 | happen | /ˈhæpən/ | verb | come to pass | 15,515 |
| 1,179 | engaged | /enˈɡeɪdʒd/ | adjective | having ones attention or mind or energy engaged | 15,504 |
| 1,180 | edge | /edʒ/ | noun | the boundary of a surface | 15,470 |
| 1,181 | wants | /wɑːnts/ | noun | plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty | 15,470 |
| 1,182 | chamber | /ˈtʃeɪmbər/ | noun | a natural or artificial enclosed space | 15,461 |
| 1,183 | crossed | /krɔːst/ | adjective | placed crosswise | 15,435 |
| 1,184 | asleep | /əˈsliːp/ | adjective | in a state of sleep | 15,430 |
| 1,185 | holy | /ˈhoʊli/ | noun | a sacred place of pilgrimage | 15,422 |
| 1,186 | takes | /teɪks/ | noun | plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of l… | 15,411 |
| 1,187 | distant | /ˈdɪstənt/ | adjective | separated in space or coming from or going to a distance | 15,407 |
| 1,188 | catch | /kætʃ/ | verb | discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing som… | 15,383 |
| 1,189 | murmured | /ˈmɜːrmərd/ | verb | past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly | 15,367 |
| 1,190 | twelve | /twelv/ | noun | the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one | 15,367 |
| 1,191 | Charles | /tʃɑːrlz/ | noun | King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de M… | 15,348 |
| 1,192 | hearts | /hɑːrts/ | noun | a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of… | 15,337 |
| 1,193 | guard | /ɡɑːrd/ | noun | a person who keeps watch over something or someone | 15,299 |
| 1,194 | prove | /pruːv/ | verb | be shown or be found to be | 15,291 |
| 1,195 | share | /ʃer/ | verb | have in common | 15,268 |
| 1,196 | stream | /striːm/ | noun | a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth | 15,245 |
| 1,197 | bottom | /ˈbɑːtəm/ | noun | the lower side of anything | 15,240 |
| 1,198 | failed | /feɪld/ | verb | past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone | 15,237 |
| 1,199 | spirits | /ˈspɪrɪts/ | noun | an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented | 15,223 |
| 1,200 | apparently | /əˈperəntli/ | adverb | from appearances alone | 15,220 |
| 1,201 | cheeks | /tʃiːks/ | noun | plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes | 15,210 |
A word list is only half of it
Words are learned where they live. Every entry here links into a chapter that uses it, and the library holds 13,850 complete books to read them in.