500 Most Common Words in English | Summer Boarding Courses (2024)

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500 Most Common Words in English | Summer Boarding Courses (1)

Do you want to know the 500 most common words in English, or are you looking to improve your overall knowledge of the English language? We’ve investigated surveys, newspapers, books, online magazines, TV, and radio to compile an essential list.

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Our essential list of the 500 most common words in English

This list contains, among many others, the most common English verbs and the most common nouns in English. We have put it in alphabetical order as it is easier to remember. Let’s get started!

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A-Z of English

A

A
a
about
act
actually
add
after
again
against
age
ago
air
all
also
always
am
among
an
and
animal
another
answer
appear
are
area
as
ask
at

B

back
ball
base
be
beauty
because
become
bed
been
before
began
begin
behind
best
better
better
between
big
bird
black
blue
boat
body
book
both
bottom
box
boy
bring
brought
build
built
busy
but
by

C

call
came
can
car
care
carefully
carry
centre
certain
change
check
child
children
city
class
clear
close
cold
colour
come
common
community
complete
contain
could
country
course
create
cried
cross
cry
cut

E

each
early
earth
east
easy
eat
effort
enough
every
example
experience
explain
eye

F

face
fact

false
family
far
farm
fast
father
feel
feet
few
field
find
fire
first
fish
five
fly
follow
food
form
found
four
friend
from
front
full

G

game
gave
get
girl
give
go
gold
good
got
government
great
green
ground
group
grow
guy

H

had
half
hand
happen
happened
hard
has
have
he
hear
heat
heavy
help
her
here
high
his
hold
home
horse
hot
hour
house
hundred

I, J, K

I
idea
if
important
in
inch
include
into
is
island
it

just

keep
kind
king
knew
know
known

L

land
language
large
last
late
later
laugh
lead
learn
leave
left
less
less
let
letter
life
light
like
line
list
listen
little
live
long
look
love
low

M

machine
made
make
man
many
map
mark
may
mean
measure
men
might
mile
million
mind
minute
miss
money
month
moon
more
more
morning
most
mother
mountain
move
much
music
must
my

N

name
nation
near
need
never
new
next
night
no
north
note
notice
noun
now
number

O

object
of
off
office
often
oh
oil
old
on
once
one
only
open
or
order
other
our
out
over

P

page
pair
part
pass
passed
people
perhaps
person
picture
place
plan
plane
plant
play
point
power
probably
problem
product
provide
pull
put

Q, R

question
quick
rain
ran
reach
read
ready
real
receive
record
red
relationship
remember
right
river
road
rock
room
round
rule
run

S

said
same
saw
say
school
science
sea
season
second
see
seem
self
sentence
serve
set
several
shape
she
ship
short
should
show
shown
side
simple
since
sing
sit
six
size
sleep

slow
small
snow
so
some
something
song
soon
sound
south
space
special
spell
spring
stand
star
start
stay
step
stood
stop
story
street
strong
study
such
summer
sun
system

T

table
take
talk
teach
tell
ten
test
than
that
the
their
them
then
there
these
they
thing
think
this
those
though
thought
thousand
three

through
time
to
together
told
too
took
top
toward
town
travel
tree
try

true
turn
two

U, V

under
understand
until
up
upon
us
use
usual
very
voice
vowel

W

wait
walk
want
war
warm
was
watch
water
wave
way
we
week
weight
were
west
what
wheel
where
which

white
who
why
will
wind
winter
with
without
woman
wonder
wood
word
words
work
world
would
write
wrong

Y

year
yes
you
young

Why should I learn the 500 most common English words?

If you want to learn English and connect with other English speakers as quickly as possible, learning these words will help you to better understand the English language You will understand instructions, and everyday English topics, and be able to respond well to questions.

If you are joining us this Summer to skyrocket your learning even more, studying these words will build a strong foundation for you before you arrive!

What is the best way to learn the 500 most commonly used words in English?

Take one set of letter words at a time

We recommend learning one set of letter words at a time. You can print them off and cut them out or save them to your laptop or phone.

Some letter sets are very long, so they have been split in two. Some are very short, so they have been combined with other letters.

Why not start with all the words beginning with A? Or, start backwards from Z?

Try to remember the words in the way you learn best

Everyone has a different way to remember what they are learning. You could translate the words into your own language if it helps you, or draw an image to remind yourself what the word is and means. You could also make your own recordings on your phone.

Have a dictionary with you

We also recommend that you use an online or paperback dictionary when you’re studying.

Do this so that you can fully understand:

a) what the word means

b) how to pronounce it

c) how to use it

Have fun!

It can be hard to motivate yourself to learn English sometimes. Remind yourself why you want to learn English when you are feeling demotivated. And have fun with the words you learn!

Try to practise using your newly learned words with friends and family. Use the words in sentences and different situations when you can.

Studying the most important words in English is good but using them in real life is so much better!

Join our English summer school course!

If you’d like to help your child further their knowledge of the English Language, why not consider enrolling on one of our English Summer School courses? We provide focused English Language courses or an option to study an academic course with the aim of developing language skills through learning a subject.

Our English Language courses are developed to support students at every language level aged 6 – 17. We offer courses to help students from complete beginners, through to advanced learners.

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500 Most Common Words in English | Summer Boarding Courses (2024)

FAQs

What are the 500 most common words? ›

500 Most Common Words in English
  • A. A. a. about. act. actually. add. after. again. against. age. ...
  • B. back. ball. base. be. beauty. because. become. bed. been. before. ...
  • C. call. came. can. car. care. carefully. carry. centre. certain. change. ...
  • D. D. dark. day. decide. decided. deep. develop. did. didn't. different. ...
  • E. each. early. earth. east. easy. eat. effort. enough. every.

What are the 100 most commonly used words in English? ›

125+ Common English Words Used in the Daily Life
AlphabetsWordUsage
EEatI love to eat green vegetables.
EasyMathematics is an easy subject.
EggYou should eat eggs every day.
FFunYou are the most fun person I have ever met.
31 more rows
Jun 10, 2024

What are the most frequently used words in English? ›

Here's the List of the 1000 Most Common English Words
  • be – “Will you be my friend?”
  • and – “You and I will always be friends.”
  • of – “Today is the first of November.”
  • a – “I saw a bear today.”
  • in – “She is in her room.”
  • to – “Let's go to the park.”
  • have – “I have a few questions.”
  • too – “I like her too.”

Is 10,000 words good vocabulary? ›

The relationship between vocabulary size and fluency is complex, and the number of words required to achieve fluency varies. Some estimates suggest that around 3,000 words are necessary to achieve basic fluency, while others suggest 10,000 or more.

How to memorize 500 vocabulary words? ›

Practice
  1. Memory techniques seal the deal. ...
  2. Create a suitable learning environment. ...
  3. Use the words in different contexts. ...
  4. Convert words into pictures. ...
  5. Associate words with real-life situations. ...
  6. Learn the synonyms and their antonyms. ...
  7. Find apps/games that work for you. ...
  8. Keep a dedicated notebook for vocabulary.
Sep 15, 2021

What are high frequency words for English learners? ›

High frequency words are those words that occur most frequently in written texts, for example, "it", "as", "the" and "with". These building-blocks of vocabulary have little meaning alone, but they contribute considerably as a whole to the meaning of a sentence.

What are 100 high frequency words? ›

These are the top 100 high frequency words that are most frequently used in any piece of writing: the, and, a, to, said, in, he, I, of, it, was, you, they, on, she, is, for, at, his, but, that, with, all, we, can, are, up, had, my, her, what, there, out, this, have, went, be, like, some, so, not, then, were, go, little ...

What are the 1000 most used words in the English language? ›

Letter-Wise 1000 Most Common Words in the English Language
  • Apple.
  • Apricot.
  • Anchor.
  • Antelope.
  • Acoustic.
  • Adventure.
  • Astronomy.
  • Abundant.
Feb 21, 2024

What are the 10 most important words in English? ›

The Most Important Words in English
  • Thing.
  • Thought.
  • True.
  • Use.
  • Way.
  • Wise.
  • Word.
  • Work.
Jun 1, 2024

How many words are required for fluent English? ›

Those who know 1,000 to 3,000 words can carry on everyday conversations. Knowing 4,000 to 10,000 words makes people advanced language users while knowing more than 10,000 words puts them at the fluent or native-speaker levels.

How many words do fluent speakers know? ›

An advanced speaker of a language is also categorized as fluent. Fluency means you've reached 10,000+ words and have reached the highest level of mastering a language without being a native speaker.

Is 2000 words enough to be fluent? ›

There are different ways of becoming fluent in English, and the number of words you need to know depends on many factors (your goals, type of vocabulary, etc.). In most cases, you need to know 2000-3000 words to reach a conversational level. To become proficient, you should master 5000 words or more.

What is considered 500 words? ›

500 words is 1 pages single-spaced or 2 pages double-spaced.

Documents that typically contain 500 words are high school and college essays, short blog posts, and news articles.

What is vocabulary A to Z? ›

Vocabulary A-Z is a digital solution for helping K-5 students build vocabulary and increase reading comprehension.

Is 1 500 words a lot? ›

Documents that typically contain 1,500 words are short-form news articles, medium length blog posts, and short pieces of journalism. You may write faster or slower than this depending on your average writing speed.

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