Wikipedia:Language learning centre/5000 most common words
These are 5000 of the most common words in American English in order of usage. This can be a particularly useful list when starting to learn a new language and will help prioritise creating sentences using the words in other languages to ensure that you develop your core quickly. This process will be sped up if creating sentences using multiple words from the list to construct sentences like "They think it is time to go" - "Ellos piensan que es hora de irse" in Spanish for instance. It is important to learn words in a given context and will make the words easier to remember.
- the
- be
- and
- of
- a
- in
- to
- have
- to
- it
- I
- that
- for
- you
- he
- with
- on
- do
- say
- this
- they
- at
- but
- we
- his
- from
- that
- by
- she
- or
- as
- what
- go
- their
- can
- who
- get
- if
- would
- her
- all
- my
- make
- about
- know
- will
- as
- up
- one
- time
- there
- year
- so
- think
- when
- which
- them
- some
- me
- people
- ta
- out
- into
- just
- see
- him
- your
- come
- could
- now
- than
- like
- other
- how
- then
- its
- our
- two
- more
- these
- want
- way
- look
- first
- also
- new
- because
- day
- more
- use
- no
- man
- find
- here
- thing
- give
- ma
- well
- only
- those
- tell
- one
- very
- her
- even
- back
- any
- good
- woman
- through
- us
- life
- child
- there
- work
- down
- may
- after
- should
- call
- world
- over
- school
- still
- try
- in
- as
- last
- ask
- need
- too
- feel
- three
- when
- state
- never
- become
- between
- high
- really
- something
- most
- another
- much
- family
- own
- out
- leave
- put
- old
- while
- mean
- on
- keep
- student
- why
- let
- great
- same
- big
- group
- begin
- seem
- country
- help
- talk
- where
- turn
- problem
- every
- start
- hand
- might
- American
- show
- part
- about
- against
- place
- over
- such
- again
- few
- case
- most
- week
- company
- where
- system
- each
- right
- program
- hear
- so
- question
- during
- work
- play
- government
- run
- small
- number
- off
- always
- move
- like
- night
- live
- point
- believe
- hold
- today
- bring
- happen
- next
- without
- before
- large
- all
- million
- must
- home
- under
- water
- room
- write
- mother
- area
- national
- money
- story
- young
- fact
- month
- different
- lot
- right
- study
- book
- job
- word
- though
- business
- issue
- side
- kind
- four
- head
- far
- black
- long
- both
- little
- house
- yes
- after
- since
- long
- provide
- service
- around
- friend
- important
- father
- sit
- away
- until
- power
- hour
- game
- often
- yet
- line
- political
- end
- among
- ever
- stand
- bad
- lose
- however
- member
- pay
- law
- meet
- car
- city
- almost
- include
- continue
- set
- later
- community
- much
- name
- five
- once
- white
- least
- president
- learn
- real
- change
- team
- minute
- best
- several
- idea
- kid
- body
- information
- nothing
- ago
- right
- lead
- social
- understand
- whether
- back
- watch
- together
- follow
- around
- parent
- only
- stop
- face
- anything
- create
- public
- already
- speak
- others
- read
- level
- allow
- add
- office
- spend
- door
- health
- person
- sure
- such
- war
- history
- party
- within
- grow
- result
- open
- change
- morning
- walk
- reason
- low
- win
- research
- girl
- guy
- early
- food
- before
- moment
- himself
- air
- teacher
- force
- offer
- enough
- both
- education
- across
- although
- remember
- foot
- second
- boy
- maybe
- toward
- able
- age
- off
- policy
- everything
- love
- process
- music
- including
- consider
- appear
- actually
- buy
- probably
- human
- wait
- serve
- market
- die
- send
- expect
- home
- sense
- build
- stay
- fall
- oh
- nation
- plan
- cut
- college
- interest
- death
- course
- someone
- experience
- behind
- reach
- local
- kill
- six
- remain
- effect
- use
- yeah
- suggest
- class
- control
- raise
- care
- perhaps
- little
- late
- hard
- field
- else
- pass
- former
- sell
- major
- sometimes
- require
- along
- development
- themselves
- report
- role
- better
- economic
- effort
- up
- decide
- rate
- strong
- possible
- heart
- drug
- show
- leader
- light
- voice
- wife
- whole
- police
- mind
- finally
- pull
- return
- free
- military
- price
- report
- less
- according
- decision
- explain
- son
- hope
- even
- develop
- view
- relationship
- carry
- town
- road
- drive
- arm
- true
- federal
- break
- better
- difference
- thank
- receive
- value
- international
- building
- action
- full
- model
- join
- season
- society
- because
- tax
- director
- early
- position
- player
- agree
- especially
- record
- pick
- wear
- paper
- special
- space
- ground
- form
- support
- event
- official
- whose
- matter
- everyone
- cent
- couple
- site
- end
- project
- hit
- base
- activity
- star
- table
- need
- court
- produce
- eat
- American
- teach
- oil
- half
- situation
- easy
- cost
- industry
- figure
- face
- street
- image
- itself
- phone
- either
- data
- cover
- quite
- picture
- clear
- practice
- piece
- land
- recent
- describe
- product
- doctor
- wall
- patient
- worker
- news
- test
- movie
- certain
- north
- love
- personal
- open
- support
- simply
- third
- technology
- catch
- step
- baby
- computer
- type
- attention
- draw
- film
- Republican
- tree
- source
- red
- nearly
- organization
- choose
- cause
- hair
- look
- point
- century
- evidence
- window
- difficult
- listen
- soon
- culture
- billion
- chance
- brother
- energy
- period
- course
- summer
- less
- realize
- hundred
- available
- plant
- likely
- opportunity
- term
- short
- letter
- condition
- choice
- place
- single
- rule
- daughter
- administration
- south
- husband
- Congress
- floor
- campaign
- material
- population
- well
- call
- economy
- medical
- hospital
- church
- close
- thousand
- risk
- current
- fire
- future
- wrong
- involve
- defense
- anyone
- increase
- security
- bank
- myself
- certainly
- west
- sport
- board
- seek
- per
- subject
- officer
- private
- rest
- behavior
- deal
- performance
- fight
- throw
- top
- quickly
- past
- goal
- second
- bed
- order
- author
- fill
- represent
- focus
- foreign
- drop
- plan
- blood
- upon
- agency
- push
- nature
- color
- no
- recently
- store
- reduce
- sound
- note
- fine
- before
- near
- movement
- page
- enter
- share
- than
- common
- poor
- other
- natural
- race
- concern
- series
- significant
- similar
- hot
- language
- each
- usually
- response
- dead
- rise
- animal
- factor
- decade
- article
- shoot
- east
- save
- seven
- artist
- away
- scene
- stock
- career
- despite
- central
- eight
- thus
- treatment
- beyond
- happy
- exactly
- protect
- approach
- lie
- size
- dog
- fund
- serious
- occur
- media
- ready
- sign
- thought
- list
- individual
- simple
- quality
- pressure
- accept
- answer
- hard
- resource
- identify
- left
- meeting
- determine
- prepare
- disease
- whatever
- success
- argue
- cup
- particularly
- amount
- ability
- staff
- recognize
- indicate
- character
- growth
- loss
- degree
- wonder
- attack
- herself
- region
- television
- box
- training
- pretty
- trade
- deal
- election
- everybody
- physical
- lay
- general
- feeling
- standard
- bill
- message
- fail
- outside
- arrive
- analysis
- benefit
- name
- sex
- forward
- lawyer
- present
- section
- environmental
- glass
- answer
- skill
- sister
- professor
- operation
- financial
- crime
- stage
- OK
- compare
- authority
- miss
- design
- sort
- one
- act
- ten
- knowledge
- gun
- station
- blue
- state
- strategy
- little
- clearly
- discuss
- indeed
- force
- truth
- song
- example
- democratic
- check
- environment
- leg
- dark
- public
- various
- rather
- laugh
- guess
- executive
- set
- study
- prove
- hang
- entire
- rock
- design
- enough
- forget
- since
- claim
- note
- remove
- manager
- help
- close
- sound
- enjoy
- network
- legal
- religious
- cold
- form
- final
- main
- science
- green
- memory
- card
- above
- seat
- cell
- establish
- nice
- trial
- expert
- that
- spring
- firm
- Democrat
- radio
- visit
- management
- care
- avoid
- imagine
- tonight
- huge
- ball
- no
- close
- finish
- yourself
- talk
- theory
- impact
- respond
- statement
- maintain
- charge
- popular
- traditional
- onto
- reveal
- direction
- weapon
- employee
- cultural
- contain
- peace
- head
- control
- base
- pain
- apply
- play
- measure
- wide
- shake
- fly
- interview
- manage
- chair
- fish
- particular
- camera
- structure
- politics
- perform
- bit
- weight
- suddenly
- discover
- candidate
- top
- production
- treat
- trip
- evening
- affect
- inside
- conference
- unit
- best
- style
- adult
- worry
- range
- mention
- rather
- far
- deep
- past
- edge
- individual
- specific
- writer
- trouble
- necessary
- throughout
- challenge
- fear
- shoulder
- institution
- middle
- sea
- dream
- bar
- beautiful
- property
- instead
- improve
- stuff
- detail
- method
- sign
- somebody
- magazine
- hotel
- soldier
- reflect
- heavy
- sexual
- cause
- bag
- heat
- fall
- marriage
- tough
- sing
- surface
- purpose
- exist
- pattern
- whom
- skin
- agent
- owner
- machine
- gas
- down
- ahead
- generation
- commercial
- address
- cancer
- test
- item
- reality
- coach
- step
- Mrs
- yard
- beat
- violence
- total
- tend
- investment
- discussion
- finger
- garden
- notice
- collection
- modern
- task
- partner
- positive
- civil
- kitchen
- consumer
- shot
- budget
- wish
- painting
- scientist
- safe
- agreement
- capital
- mouth
- nor
- victim
- newspaper
- instead
- threat
- responsibility
- smile
- attorney
- score
- account
- interesting
- break
- audience
- rich
- dinner
- figure
- vote
- western
- relate
- travel
- debate
- prevent
- citizen
- majority
- none
- front
- born
- admit
- senior
- assume
- wind
- key
- professional
- mission
- fast
- alone
- customer
- suffer
- speech
- successful
- option
- participant