The Most Common English Words: English Frequency Lists

The Most Common English Words: English Frequency Lists

We’ve decided to start with English for this first article. If you follow the whole series, you’ll see that frequency lists are sometimes very similar from one language to another. We’re starting with English because it’s the most common shared language between foreigners in all fields of communication. If you’re going to Poland but don’t speak a word of the local language, you’ll try to speak English; if you’re going to Colombia on vacation but don’t speak Spanish, you’ll speak English; and so on. So we thought it prudent and essential to start with this language.

What is a frequency list?

First of all, before we give you our frequency lists for the most common English words, what are we talking about? Is this the same as a vocabulary list? A frequency list is a vocabulary list of the most common words, i.e. those used most frequently. It’s compiled from a variety of written sources, such as books, film subtitles, newspapers, and so on.

However, a frequency list is a linguistic tool before it’s a vocabulary tool. It lets you know which words to learn first, but also which ones to pay attention to. Some words, like prepositions, can have several definitions. For example, “to” can be used with or without a verb:

• I go to school.
• It’s something I’ll get used to.
• It’s up to you.

Knowing that this preposition (or any other word) is used frequently has some use in itself. But you’ll also need to know how to use it. Let’s just say it gives you an idea of how important a particular word is in a language. For those who like to study linguistics, it’s fascinating!

Why should I use these to study vocabulary?

You may be asking yourself this question right now. The answer is quite simple. If you learn words from a frequency list, you’ll be sure to find those words in your conversations, in the movies you watch, or in what you listen to. A simple vocabulary list won’t necessarily have this advantage (even if it’s also useful in its own way). In fact, they complement each other.

What’s more, using a lexical frequency list will enable you to analyze the language you’re learning. After all, every language is built differently, and it’s always useful to understand how the language you’re learning works.

What is the best way to use a frequency list?

A frequency list is a list of the most frequently used words – not phrases, sentences, or concepts. Here, we offer you around 1,000 of the most frequently used words in English. This will give you an initial foundation on which to build your vocabulary.

It’s important to note that some words, although commonly used, may not be immediately useful. For example, “god” is a word you’ll find in the frequency list in many languages. If you’re not religious, you might not use it much on a daily basis. It does, however, give an idea of the importance of this concept in a given culture.

The advice we can give you for incorporating these lists into your learning is to assess the words YOU need and write examples alongside them to put them into context. For example, “to see” can mean several very different things in English:

• I see that dog every morning. (= to look at something)
• Frank has been seeing Lisa for a month. (= to date)
• Do you see what I mean? (= to understand)

One verb, three very different contexts. You’ll likely come across some words in other languages that work the same way, especially prepositions, which can generally be translated in multiple ways. So don’t hesitate to create your own list with the words you need in their proper context. Never forget that frequency and vocabulary lists are aids, but only you know exactly what you need. What’s more, you’ll have more fun learning vocabulary if you can put it into a context that’s meaningful to you!

Did you know that MosaLingua’s learning method is based on frequency lists? We use them to identify the order in which we introduce words to learn. That way, we can be sure that you’re only learning vocabulary that’s useful in everyday life, according to your level. Yes, at MosaLingua we like to make your life easier!

English Frequency Lists

Frequency list: 1,000 most common English words

Here is a frequency list of the most common English words used in contemporary fiction. This means you’re likely to come across them when reading or watching a movie. A frequency list for professional contexts might be a little different.

Source: wiktionary

Pronouns, articles, and possessive adjectives

Some personal pronouns are used more often than others. You’ll notice that not all of them are listed in this table, simply because they’re used less often. Though you’ll likely end up knowing and using all of them, these are the ones we recommend that you start with.

Other pronouns and indefinite adjectives

Frequency list: Adjectives + numbers

There are two adjectives on this list that might need a little special attention: own and right.

• own

Own can be a verb (to own something = to possess something/to take something upon yourself), an adjective, or a pronoun. This is the most common use. It takes on yet another meaning if it’s accompanied by the word up (to own up = to admit). So be careful that you’re paying attention to the context:

I did it on my own.
They speak their own language.
He refuses to own up to his mistake.

But also: It is at your own risk. (You are taking responsibility for the risks and dangers.)

• right

Right is another word that can take on many different meanings. It too can function as a noun, adjective, or verb. “Right” can refer to a direction (right vs. left), but can also mean “correct.” Or it can be used to talk about privileges (the right to vote), or even “to put [something] back in order.” Here are a few examples:

You are right.
The right side is broken.
Are you sure you have the right number?
I know my rights.
He righted the chair that the child had knocked over.

English speakers also use this word as an interjection to confirm something:

– “Don’t forget, we’re going to the bank tomorrow.”
– “Right!”

Most common English nouns – people

Other common nouns – time, culture, etc.

• back

This word can be used as a noun (body part), an adjective (on the back/behind), a verb (to support/to to back up), or as an adverb employed as a particle (to go back). To help you memorize this word, no matter its part of speech or its location in the sentence, back = reverse/behind/return. This way, you can have a starting point in every context that you find it:

My back hurts. (body part)
He comes back soon. (returns)
Back outside, she went to the stable. (again; return to previous state)

Most common English verbs

Here you’ll find all the most common verbs in English.

A word of advice: First learn the auxiliaries and modals conjugated in the third person singular (he, she) in the present and past tenses. I’ve only included the infinitives here because they’re used most frequently, and the verb form doesn’t change much in English except in the past tense. You can then learn the conjugation of the remaining singular persons (I, you) before moving on to the whole conjugation table. This way, you’ll learn progressively, without tiring yourself out.

The most commonly used verb forms in English are the past tenses:

• are, was, were, been (to be)
• had (to have)
• saw, seen (to see)
• said (to say), took (to take), made (to make), went (to go)

Adverbs of time and place

Other adverbs: Affirmation, negation, doubt, etc.

Frequency list: Question words

Prepositions, conjunctions, and linking words

Beware of prepositions! They can often be used in many ways and might translate differently into your native language. In the table below, you’ll find a list of the most common English prepositions. The most simple approach is to learn each word or expression and its common uses (for example: go to, from 9:00 to 10:00, compared to, to and fro, etc.). Once you’re aware of its uses, try to employ each expression as much as possible.

Most common English words: A few notes

Don’t forget that a word can have several meanings, just as in many other languages. You’ll find several examples of this in the frequency lists above. Even when a word has a specific meaning, its translation might be different depending on the sentence or expression used.

So have fun creating example sentences! Make sure you understand the meaning of each word and that it’s used correctly. That way, you won’t make mistakes when you use them. And if you do, remember that mistakes are part of learning! It’s perfectly normal.

Our learning method uses frequency lists to identify the order in which you learn words. So we make it easy for you to learn a language with our apps and web platform.

Happy learning!

What is the longest word in English?

And now that we’ve just looked at a ton of vocabulary words, it’s time for a little break! Do you know what the longest word in the world is? Our French instructor Lucie did a little research and came up with some pretty crazy words that you may (or may not) have heard of before. Have a look!