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.
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Ranks 1,201 onward
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| Rank | Word | Sound | Part of speech | Meaning | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,202 | officer | /ˈɔːfəsər/ | noun | any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command | 15,208 |
| 1,203 | space | /speɪs/ | noun | the unlimited expanse in which everything is located | 15,189 |
| 1,204 | terror | /ˈterər/ | noun | an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety | 15,185 |
| 1,205 | softly | /ˈsɔːftli/ | adverb | with low volume | 15,184 |
| 1,206 | draw | /drɔː/ | verb | cause to move by pulling | 15,183 |
| 1,207 | due | /duː/ | adjective | owed and payable immediately or on demand | 15,177 |
| 1,209 | excitement | /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/ | noun | the feeling of lively and cheerful joy | 15,142 |
| 1,210 | names | /neɪmz/ | noun | verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument | 15,126 |
| 1,211 | property | /ˈprɑːpərti/ | noun | something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone | 15,118 |
| 1,212 | th | /ˈtiːˈeɪtʃ/ | noun | the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day | 15,070 |
| 1,213 | generally | /ˈdʒenərəli/ | adverb | usually; as a rule | 15,058 |
| 1,214 | nearer | /ˈnɪrər/ | adverb | (comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance | 15,054 |
| 1,215 | consider | /kənˈsɪdər/ | verb | deem to be | 15,029 |
| 1,216 | Christian | /ˈkrɪstʃən/ | adjective | relating to or characteristic of Christianity | 14,997 |
| 1,217 | anybody | /ˈenibədi/ | pronoun | any person at all | 14,986 |
| 1,218 | affairs | /əˈferz/ | noun | matters of personal concern | 14,932 |
| 1,219 | spread | /spred/ | verb | distribute or disperse widely | 14,929 |
| 1,220 | seek | /siːk/ | verb | try to get or reach | 14,928 |
| 1,221 | woods | /wʊdz/ | noun | the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area | 14,905 |
| 1,222 | growing | /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/ | noun | (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biologica… | 14,897 |
| 1,223 | station | /ˈsteɪʃən/ | noun | a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose | 14,853 |
| 1,224 | mountains | /ˈmaʊntənz/ | noun | plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher th… | 14,841 |
| 1,225 | saved | /seɪvd/ | adjective | rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin | 14,810 |
| 1,226 | sorrow | /ˈsɑːroʊ/ | noun | an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement | 14,810 |
| 1,227 | grow | /ɡroʊ/ | verb | pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become | 14,793 |
| 1,228 | gathered | /ˈɡæðərd/ | adjective | brought together in one place | 14,783 |
| 1,229 | ordered | /ˈɔːrdərd/ | adjective | having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order accordi… | 14,761 |
| 1,230 | demanded | /dɪˈmændəd/ | verb | past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully | 14,759 |
| 1,231 | excellent | /ˈeksələnt/ | adjective | very good; of the highest quality | 14,759 |
| 1,232 | gently | /ˈdʒentli/ | adverb | in a gradual manner | 14,756 |
| 1,233 | instantly | /ˈɪnstəntli/ | adverb | without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening | 14,745 |
| 1,234 | tender | /ˈtendər/ | adjective | given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality | 14,721 |
| 1,235 | moving | /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ | adjective | in motion | 14,720 |
| 1,236 | conduct | /ˈkɑːndəkt/ | verb | direct the course of; manage or control | 14,714 |
| 1,237 | false | /fɔːls/ | adjective | not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality | 14,712 |
| 1,238 | busy | /ˈbɪzi/ | adjective | actively or fully engaged or occupied | 14,707 |
| 1,239 | weak | /wiːk/ | adjective | wanting in physical strength | 14,707 |
| 1,240 | agreed | /əˈɡriːd/ | adjective | united by being of the same opinion | 14,705 |
| 1,241 | tea | /tiː/ | noun | a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water | 14,699 |
| 1,242 | greatly | /ˈɡreɪtli/ | adverb | to an extraordinary extent or degree | 14,696 |
| 1,243 | tale | /teɪl/ | noun | a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; prese… | 14,683 |
| 1,244 | explain | /ɪkˈspleɪn/ | verb | make plain and comprehensible | 14,681 |
| 1,245 | proved | /pruːvd/ | adjective | established beyond doubt | 14,677 |
| 1,246 | lover | /ˈlʌvər/ | noun | a person who loves someone or is loved by someone | 14,675 |
| 1,247 | bore | /bɔːr/ | verb | cause to be bored | 14,645 |
| 1,248 | hills | /hɪlz/ | noun | plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land | 14,635 |
| 1,249 | worked | /wɜːrkt/ | verb | past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or o… | 14,635 |
| 1,250 | drove | /droʊv/ | noun | a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together | 14,626 |
| 1,251 | frightened | /ˈfraɪtənd/ | adjective | made afraid | 14,587 |
| 1,252 | stairs | /sterz/ | noun | a flight of stairs or a flight of steps | 14,582 |
| 1,253 | loss | /lɔːs/ | noun | something that is lost | 14,573 |
| 1,254 | otherwise | /ˈʌðərwaɪz/ | adverb | in other respects or ways | 14,560 |
| 1,255 | frank | /fræŋk/ | adjective | characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion | 14,557 |
| 1,256 | working | /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/ | adjective | actively engaged in paid work | 14,549 |
| 1,257 | German | /ˈdʒɜːrmən/ | noun | a person of German nationality | 14,538 |
| 1,258 | kindly | /ˈkaɪndli/ | adjective | showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity | 14,537 |
| 1,259 | valley | /ˈvæli/ | noun | a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river | 14,527 |
| 1,260 | lad | /læd/ | noun | a boy or man | 14,517 |
| 1,261 | hate | /heɪt/ | noun | the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action | 14,504 |
| 1,262 | grief | /ɡriːf/ | noun | intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death) | 14,499 |
| 1,263 | couple | /ˈkʌpəl/ | noun | a pair who associate with one another | 14,498 |
| 1,264 | movement | /ˈmuːvmənt/ | noun | a change of position that does not entail a change of location | 14,498 |
| 1,265 | Dick | /dɪk/ | noun | someone who is a detective | 14,489 |
| 1,266 | pulled | /pʊld/ | verb | past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling | 14,488 |
| 1,267 | throw | /θroʊ/ | verb | propel through the air | 14,487 |
| 1,268 | majesty | /ˈmædʒəsti/ | noun | impressiveness in scale or proportion | 14,478 |
| 1,269 | grown | /ɡroʊn/ | adjective | (of animals) fully developed | 14,471 |
| 1,270 | anger | /ˈæŋɡər/ | noun | a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance | 14,465 |
| 1,271 | lies | /laɪz/ | noun | plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth | 14,465 |
| 1,272 | bell | /bel/ | noun | a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck | 14,461 |
| 1,273 | maid | /meɪd/ | noun | a female domestic | 14,456 |
| 1,274 | p | /piː/ | noun | a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorga… | 14,433 |
| 1,275 | east | /iːst/ | noun | the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees | 14,431 |
| 1,276 | brain | /breɪn/ | noun | that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; e… | 14,427 |
| 1,277 | dozen | /ˈdʌzən/ | noun | the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one | 14,425 |
| 1,278 | search | /sɜːrtʃ/ | verb | try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of | 14,369 |
| 1,279 | dreadful | /ˈdredfəl/ | adjective | causing fear or dread or terror | 14,359 |
| 1,280 | voices | /ˈvɔɪsəz/ | noun | plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech | 14,354 |
| 1,281 | kiss | /kɪs/ | noun | the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof) | 14,348 |
| 1,282 | inquired | /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərd/ | verb | past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from | 14,347 |
| 1,283 | buy | /baɪ/ | verb | obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction | 14,338 |
| 1,284 | interested | /ˈɪntrəstɪd/ | adjective | having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern | 14,336 |
| 1,285 | pressed | /prest/ | adjective | compacted by ironing | 14,329 |
| 1,286 | excuse | /ɪksˈkjuːs/ | verb | accept an excuse for | 14,327 |
| 1,287 | Indian | /ˈɪndiən/ | adjective | of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or lan… | 14,324 |
| 1,288 | cruel | /ˈkruːəl/ | adjective | (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering | 14,316 |
| 1,289 | value | /ˈvæljuː/ | noun | a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed | 14,309 |
| 1,290 | weather | /ˈweðər/ | noun | the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temper… | 14,307 |
| 1,291 | forgive | /fərˈɡɪv/ | verb | stop blaming or grant forgiveness | 14,271 |
| 1,292 | rooms | /ruːmz/ | noun | apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hote… | 14,210 |
| 1,293 | built | /bɪlt/ | adjective | (used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to … | 14,161 |
| 1,294 | vast | /væst/ | adjective | unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope | 14,157 |
| 1,295 | intended | /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/ | adjective | resulting from one's intentions | 14,137 |
| 1,296 | stepped | /stept/ | verb | inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step | 14,131 |
| 1,297 | truly | /ˈtruːli/ | adverb | in accordance with truth or fact or reality | 14,130 |
| 1,298 | refused | /rəˈfjuːzd/ | verb | past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards | 14,128 |
| 1,299 | formed | /fɔːrmd/ | adjective | having or given a form or shape | 14,124 |
| 1,300 | familiar | /fəˈmɪljər/ | adjective | well known or easily recognized | 14,094 |
| 1,301 | lake | /leɪk/ | noun | a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land | 14,088 |
| 1,302 | bread | /bred/ | noun | food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder an… | 14,071 |
| 1,303 | doors | /dɔːrz/ | noun | plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room… | 14,056 |
| 1,305 | rate | /reɪt/ | noun | a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit | 14,019 |
| 1,306 | possession | /pəˈzeʃən/ | noun | the act of having and controlling property | 14,014 |
| 1,307 | existence | /eɡˈzɪstəns/ | noun | the state or fact of existing | 14,005 |
| 1,308 | sprang | /spræŋ/ | verb | inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds | 13,987 |
| 1,309 | difference | /ˈdɪfərəns/ | noun | the quality of being unlike or dissimilar | 13,965 |
| 1,310 | beg | /beɡ/ | verb | call upon in supplication; entreat | 13,955 |
| 1,311 | Philip | /ˈfɪləp/ | noun | Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921) | 13,953 |
| 1,312 | baby | /ˈbeɪbi/ | noun | a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk | 13,946 |
| 1,313 | fond | /fɑːnd/ | adjective | having or displaying warmth or affection | 13,944 |
| 1,314 | quarter | /ˈkwɔːrtər/ | noun | one of four equal parts | 13,931 |
| 1,315 | laughter | /ˈlæftər/ | noun | the sound of laughing | 13,899 |
| 1,316 | awful | /ˈɑːfəl/ | adjective | exceptionally bad or displeasing | 13,893 |
| 1,317 | higher | /ˈhaɪər/ | adjective | advanced in complexity or elaboration | 13,892 |
| 1,318 | despair | /dɪˈsper/ | noun | a state in which all hope is lost or absent | 13,876 |
| 1,319 | habit | /ˈhæbət/ | noun | an established custom | 13,870 |
| 1,320 | possibly | /ˈpɑːsəbli/ | adverb | by chance | 13,863 |
| 1,321 | birds | /bɜːrdz/ | noun | plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and fo… | 13,843 |
| 1,322 | pure | /pjʊr/ | adjective | free of extraneous elements of any kind | 13,837 |
| 1,323 | naturally | /ˈnætʃərəli/ | adverb | as might be expected | 13,830 |
| 1,324 | hers | /hərz/ | pronoun | the one or ones belonging to her | 13,821 |
| 1,325 | complete | /kəmˈpliːt/ | verb | come or bring to a finish or an end | 13,817 |
| 1,326 | drop | /drɑːp/ | verb | let fall to the ground | 13,808 |
| 1,327 | advantage | /ædˈvæntɪdʒ/ | noun | the quality of having a superior or more favorable position | 13,807 |
| 1,328 | curiosity | /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/ | noun | a state in which you want to learn more about something | 13,776 |
| 1,329 | storm | /stɔːrm/ | verb | behave violently, as if in state of a great anger | 13,769 |
| 1,330 | worst | /wɜːrst/ | noun | the least favorable outcome | 13,769 |
| 1,331 | fault | /fɔːlt/ | noun | a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention | 13,766 |
| 1,332 | huge | /hjuːdʒ/ | adjective | unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope | 13,760 |
| 1,333 | calling | /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/ | noun | the particular occupation for which you are trained | 13,758 |
| 1,334 | innocent | /ˈɪnəsənt/ | adjective | free from evil or guilt | 13,753 |
| 1,335 | glanced | /ɡlænst/ | verb | past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at | 13,750 |
| 1,336 | kitchen | /ˈkɪtʃən/ | noun | a room equipped for preparing meals | 13,736 |
| 1,337 | bowed | /baʊd/ | adjective | of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow | 13,731 |
| 1,338 | shouted | /ˈʃaʊtɪd/ | adjective | in a vehement outcry | 13,729 |
| 1,339 | satisfaction | /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/ | noun | the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation | 13,701 |
| 1,340 | dying | /ˈdaɪɪŋ/ | adjective | in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be | 13,700 |
| 1,341 | countess | /ˈkaʊntəs/ | noun | female equivalent of a count or earl | 13,653 |
| 1,342 | served | /sɜːrvd/ | verb | past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function | 13,641 |
| 1,343 | ere | /er/ | conjunction | an old word for “before” | 13,630 |
| 1,344 | bird | /bɜːrd/ | noun | warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as… | 13,608 |
| 1,345 | suffered | /ˈsʌfərd/ | verb | past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to | 13,605 |
| 1,346 | affection | /əˈfekʃən/ | noun | a positive feeling of liking | 13,599 |
| 1,347 | Sunday | /ˈsʌndeɪ/ | noun | first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians | 13,598 |
| 1,348 | dull | /dʌl/ | adjective | lacking in liveliness or animation | 13,596 |
| 1,349 | burning | /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ | noun | the act of burning something | 13,590 |
| 1,350 | needed | /ˈniːdəd/ | adjective | necessary for relief or supply | 13,590 |
| 1,351 | sides | /saɪdz/ | noun | plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference… | 13,579 |
| 1,352 | trembling | /ˈtrembəlɪŋ/ | noun | a shaky motion | 13,574 |
| 1,353 | advice | /ædˈvaɪs/ | noun | a proposal for an appropriate course of action | 13,563 |
| 1,354 | gives | /ɡɪvz/ | noun | plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its… | 13,563 |
| 1,355 | slow | /sloʊ/ | adjective | not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time | 13,543 |
| 1,356 | drawing | /ˈdrɔːɪŋ/ | noun | an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper | 13,542 |
| 1,357 | nevertheless | /ˌnevərðəˈles/ | adverb | in spite of what has just been said | 13,540 |
| 1,358 | falling | /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/ | adjective | decreasing in amount or degree | 13,514 |
| 1,359 | hurried | /ˈhɜːrid/ | adjective | moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste | 13,512 |
| 1,360 | sooner | /ˈsuːnər/ | adverb | comparatives of “soon” or “early” | 13,508 |
| 1,361 | hidden | /ˈhɪdən/ | adjective | not accessible to view | 13,502 |
| 1,362 | forehead | /ˈfɔːrhed/ | noun | the part of the face above the eyes | 13,493 |
| 1,363 | mentioned | /ˈmenʃənd/ | verb | past form of “mention” — make reference to | 13,472 |
| 1,364 | hoped | /hoʊpt/ | verb | past form of “hope” — expect and wish | 13,465 |
| 1,365 | willing | /ˈwɪlɪŋ/ | adjective | disposed or inclined toward | 13,455 |
| 1,366 | fly | /flaɪ/ | verb | travel through the air; be airborne | 13,451 |
| 1,367 | thirty | /ˈθɜːrdiː/ | noun | the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three | 13,442 |
| 1,368 | dangerous | /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/ | adjective | involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm | 13,436 |
| 1,369 | unknown | /ənˈnoʊn/ | adjective | not known | 13,429 |
| 1,370 | James | /dʒeɪmz/ | noun | a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France … | 13,425 |
| 1,371 | midst | /mɪdst/ | noun | the location of something surrounded by other things | 13,421 |
| 1,372 | throat | /θroʊt/ | noun | The passage at the back of the mouth. | 13,415 |
| 1,373 | wear | /wer/ | verb | be dressed in | 13,391 |
| 1,374 | mercy | /ˈmɜːrsi/ | noun | leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with admin… | 13,386 |
| 1,375 | blind | /blaɪnd/ | noun | people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group | 13,381 |
| 1,376 | listening | /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/ | noun | the act of hearing attentively | 13,374 |
| 1,377 | farther | /ˈfɑːrðər/ | adjective | more distant in especially space or time | 13,355 |
| 1,378 | occurred | /əˈkɜːrd/ | verb | inflected form of “occur” — come to pass | 13,348 |
| 1,379 | relief | /rɪˈliːf/ | noun | the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced | 13,327 |
| 1,380 | ideas | /aɪˈdiːəz/ | noun | plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about | 13,281 |
| 1,381 | shop | /ʃɑːp/ | verb | do one's shopping | 13,278 |
| 1,382 | events | /ɪˈvents/ | noun | plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time | 13,273 |
| 1,383 | suffering | /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/ | noun | a state of acute pain | 13,273 |
| 1,384 | dust | /dʌst/ | verb | remove the dust from | 13,272 |
| 1,385 | playing | /ˈpleɪɪŋ/ | noun | the act of playing a musical instrument | 13,272 |
| 1,386 | soldier | /ˈsoʊldʒər/ | noun | an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army | 13,270 |
| 1,387 | emperor | /ˈempərər/ | noun | the male ruler of an empire | 13,256 |
| 1,388 | begun | /bɪˈɡʌn/ | verb | inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action | 13,249 |
| 1,389 | bitter | /ˈbɪtər/ | adjective | marked by strong resentment or cynicism | 13,245 |
| 1,390 | features | /ˈfiːtʃərz/ | noun | plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something | 13,245 |
| 1,391 | sympathy | /ˈsɪmpəθi/ | noun | an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion | 13,241 |
| 1,392 | sing | /sɪŋ/ | verb | deliver by singing | 13,237 |
| 1,393 | priest | /priːst/ | noun | a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer variou… | 13,233 |
| 1,394 | disappeared | /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/ | verb | past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation | 13,222 |
| 1,395 | pounds | /paʊndz/ | noun | plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois | 13,194 |
| 1,396 | social | /ˈsoʊʃəl/ | adjective | relating to human society and its members | 13,183 |
| 1,397 | c | /siː/ | noun | a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature | 13,178 |
| 1,398 | pause | /pɔːz/ | noun | a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something | 13,158 |
| 1,399 | degree | /dɪˈɡriː/ | noun | a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality | 13,154 |
| 1,400 | building | /ˈbɪldɪŋ/ | noun | a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place | 13,142 |
| 1,401 | delicate | /ˈdeləkət/ | adjective | exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury | 13,142 |
| 1,402 | nodded | /ˈnɑːdəd/ | verb | inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding | 13,135 |
| 1,403 | class | /klæs/ | noun | a collection of things sharing a common attribute | 13,129 |
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.