Word Frequency List for English


This page lists the 2000 most frequent English words, according to the BNC data base. Numbers, abbreviations, contractions, and place names have been excluded. The list is lemmatized, meaning the base form (infinitive or singular) is counted by the frequency of all its derived forms. A text version is also available.

Note that sometimes, two principle entries cannot be separated because they share forms, e.g. 'to live' and 'the life' both have a derived form 'lives'. These words had to be combined into one single entry in the list.

The list also unifies undisputed synonyms into one entry (e.g. small=little, usually=normally, etc.). Words which share synonym readings but are different in some other meanings have been left separated.

Base Forms Derived Forms
the
beis, was, are, were, been, being, am
it, he, they, sheher, their, them, him, its
of
and
to
a
in
i, wemy, me, our, us
havehad, has, having
thatthose
for
youyour, yours
on
with
thisthese
dodid, does, done, doing
as
by
at
not, non
but
his
from
which
or
an
saysaid, says, saying
there
one
all
would
willwilling
what
whowhose, whom
if
gogoing, went, gone, goes
can
getgot, getting, gets
when
makemade, making, makes
so
no
more
about
seeseen, saw, seeing, sees
knowknew, known, knows, knowing
timetimes
up
taketook, taken, taking, takes
some
otherothers
could
thinkthought, thinking, thoughts, thinks
yearyears
into
then
goodbetter, best, goods
useused, using, uses
two
out
only
comecame, coming, comes
likeliked
workworking, works, worked
newnews
now
over
givegiven, gave, giving, gives
just
may
himself, itself, themselves, herself, myself, yourself, ourselves, self
also
looklooked, looking, looks
people
any
very
first
aftafter
well
should
wayways
than
where
how
findfound, finding, findings, finds
back
most
rightrights
manmen
smalllittle, smaller
life, liveliving, lives, lived
much
down
daydays
between
many
before
needneeds, needed
because
wantwanted, wants
meanmeans, meant, meaning
evenevening
through
yeah
biglarge, larger, largest, biggest, bigger
three
thingthings
telltold, telling, tells
such
feelfelt, feeling, feelings, feels
under, below
leaveleft, leaving, leaves
must
still
childchildren
too
here
off
putputting, puts
own
both
showshown, showed, shows, showing
last
governmentgovernments
becomebecame, becomes, becoming
househouses, housing
latelater, latest
oldolder
womanwomen
systemsystems
greatgreater, greatest
partparts
might
same
casecases
yes
numbnumber, numbers
however
groupgroups
placeplaces, placed
followfollowing, followed, follows
askasked, asking
areaareas
homehomes
seemseems, seemed
another
world
companycompanies
while
problemproblems
again
highhigher, highest
against
never
longlonger
changechanges, changed, changing
includeincluding, included, includes
meetmeeting, met, meetings
serviceservices
interestinterests, interesting, interested
handhands
perhaps, maybe, possibly
something
partyparties
schoolschools
different, unlike
trytrying, tried
why
earlyearlier
each
endended
provideprovided, provides, providing
callcalled
turnturned, turning
countrycountries
really
startstarted, starting, starts
since
weekweeks
pointpoints
membermembers
keepkept, keeping
beginbegan, beginning, begun, begins
always
statestates
without
setsetting
secondseconds
around
within
local
during
bringbrought, bringing, brings
wordwords
reportreported, reports
although
writewritten, wrote, writing
holdheld, holding
often, frequently
next
familyfamilies
factfacts
formforms, formed
social
quite
playplayed, playing
openopened
every
monthmonths
buildbuilding, built, buildings
particularly, especially
facefacing, faces
until
sidesides
movemoved, moving
nightnights
important
eyeeyes
youngyounger
information
helphelped
runrunning, ran
away
questionquestions
basis, basebased
bank, demandbanks, demands
bookbooks
powerpowers
developmentdevelopments
money
levellevels
national
businessbusinesses
headheads
public
leadled, leading
roomrooms
further, farther
resultresults
less
carcars
policypolicies
councilcouncils
planplanning, plans
though
courtcourts
already
possible
nothing
hearheard
yet
water
paypaid, paying
effecteffects
whether
ideaideas
enough
linelines
studystudies
general
jobjobs
bodybodies
friendfriends
namenames
allowallowed, allows, allowing
supportsupported
marketmarkets
almost
mindminds
authorityauthorities
increaseincreased, increasing
north, northern
believebelieved, believes
roadroads
readreading
able
political
hourhours
doordoors
raterates
happenhappened, happens, happening
officeoffices
whole
actacting
issueissues, issued
lawlaws
programme, programprogrammes
reasonreasons
involveinvolved, involving, involves
personpersons
termterms
towards
half, halve
viewviews
talktalking, talks
ageages, aged
anything
periodperiods
major
societysocieties
control
round
ministerministers
therefore, hence
processprocesses
war
appearappeared, appears
either
mothermothers
figurefigures
costcosts
once
police
usually, normally
among, amongst
mattmatter, matters
far
probably
available
carrycarried, carrying
individualindividuals
low, lourlower
actionactions
coursecourses
minuteminutes
citycities
offeroffered, offering, offers
priceprices
kindkinds
labour, labor
south, southern
positionpositions
communitycommunities
west, western
requirerequired, requires
suggestsuggested, suggests
full
actually
education
remainremains, remained, remaining
typetypes
ever
today
subjectsubjects
sitsat, sitting
momentmoments
girlgirls
forceforces, forced
voice
across
certainly, surely
bad, illworse, worst
loveloved
together
returnreturned, returning
continuecontinued, continues
research
valuevalues
fallfell, fallen, falling
traintraining
patientpatients
health
sure
standstood, standing
lightlights
streetstreets
decisiondecisions
industryindustries
orderorders
care
class, classisclasses
loselost, losing
main
understandunderstanding, understood
several
centre, centercentres
past
god
conditionconditions
paperpapers
behind
economic
upon
let
above
detaildetails, detailed
centurycenturies
sectionsections
armarms, armed
activityactivities
tabletables
top
churchchurches
hard
real
teamteams
clear
future
likely
sortsorts
expectexpected
black, blacken
concernconcerned, concerning
lotlots
fewfewer
experienceexperiences
studentstudents
buybought, buying
staff
white
languagelanguages
unionunions
addadded
rememberremembered
recordrecords, recorded
stopstopped
difficult
produceproduced, producing
special
departmentdepartments
particular
international
father
standardstandards
management
sendsent
productproducts
certain
agreeagreed
committeecommittees
letterletters
ground, groundsheetgrounds
evidence
ratherather
speakspoke, speaking, spoken
footfeet
designdesigned
boyboys
third
walkwalked, walking
gamegames
closeclosed
morning
claimclaims, claimed
roleroles
else
east, eastern
sense
eventevents
organisation, organizationorganisations, organizations
practicepractices
sometimes
stagestages
thus
presentpresented
considerconsidered
shall
clubclubs
death
parentparents
towntowns
decidedecided
situationsituations
ago
artarts
teacherteachers
managermanagers
exampleexamples
yesterday
range
windowwindows
along
spendspent, spending
history
free
fieldfields
differencedifferences
human, humane
food
air
relationshiprelationships
indeed
sir
salesales
someone
everything
similar
storystories
trade
uniteunited
covercovered, covering
workerworkers
datumdata
structurestructures
shareshares
necessary
nature
easyeasier
methodmethods
rulerules
winwon
unitunits
central
taxtaxes
movementmovements
materialmaterials
accountaccounts
simply
poundpounds
reachreached
receivereceived
firmfirms
personal
projectprojects
short
dealdealing
land
total
true
breakbroke, broken
wife, wive
wallwalls
causecaused
lordlords
former
common
growgrowing, grew, grown
developdeveloped
theorytheories
modelmodels
hopehoping
hospitalhospitals
computercomputers
propertyproperties
financial
single
billbills
directordirectors
schemeschemes
thankthanks
applicationapplications
chancechances
private
foreign
answeranswers
operationoperations
diedied
near
sonsons
opportunityopportunities
president
officerofficers
leaderleaders
soon
strong
bed
drawdrawn, drew
recent
sourcesources
quality
university
sitesites
television, tv
describedescribed
various
picturepictures
losslosses
agreementagreements
existexisting, exists
clearly
contractcontracts
outside
animalanimals
purposepurposes
poor
lielay, lying, lies
production
colourcolours
electionelections
music
bit, bittbits
shopshops
anyone
factorfactors
passpassed, passing
patternpatterns
front
piecepieces
award
date
royal
april
treetrees
benefitbenefits
pressurepressures
supposesupposed
despite
knowledge
june
createcreated, creating
hair
plantplants
march
series
testtests
chargecharges
sellsold, selling
pagepages
natural
officialofficials
watchwatching, watched
notenotes, noted
widewider
riserose
statementstatements
relationrelations
simple
principleprinciples
rest
secretary
security
king
heart
learnlearning
attention
signsigns, signed
doctordoctors
chapter
capital
per
visitvisited
board
success
effortefforts
machinemachines
everyone
filmfilms
completecompleted
establishestablished
whatever
analysis, analyse
regionregions
waitwaiting, waited
population
playerplayers
difficultydifficulties
stepsteps
cellcells
modern, moderne
drivedrove, driven
legal
featurefeatures
villagevillages
approach
final
smilesmiled
wrong
finally
performance
environment
please
fire
milemiles
degreedegrees
tasktasks
provisionprovisions
wishwished
growth
nice
ladyladies
size
huge, vast
horsehorses
space
amount
userusers
charactercharacters
functionfunctions
fundfunds
normal
nor
gon
dogdogs
green
quickly
behaviour
gardengardens
previous
recently
serious
anyway
couple
worth
energy
current
stationstations
argumentarguments
dark
significant
income
applyapplied, applies
responsibilityresponsibilities
achieveachieved
elementelements
acceptaccepted
dutyduties
july
treatment
prime
leglegs
throughout
suddenly
raiseraised
choice
choosechosen, chose
fine
inside
happy
list
aspectaspects
defence
red, redd
industrial
staystayed
brotherbrothers
floor
generally
nearly
surprisesurprising, surprised
sorry
association
forward
army
summer
specific
bearborn
husband
potential
customcustomers, customer
alone
cut, cute
procedureprocedures
imageimages
obviously
unless
appropriate
discussiondiscussions
dead
military
containcontains, containing, contained
season
clientclients
cold
proposalproposals
basic
sun
middle
profitprofits
successful
aware
technology
attitudeattitudes
exactly
beyond
style
goalgoals
october
popular
skillskills
affairaffairs
science
seatseats
techniquetechniques
attemptattempts
resourceresources
itemitems
sea
advice
circumstancecircumstances
september
park
original
hall
announceannounced
advantageadvantages
investment
oil
mainly, primarily
cup
january
wearwearing, wore
james
measuremeasures
okay
blood
reducereduced
useful, utile
professional
conference
extent
key
response
majority
effective
press
easily
stonestones
risk
economy
commission
traditional
glass
ready
male
fish
paymentpayments
importance
college
articlearticles
catchcaught
immediately
cardcards
considerable
parliament
explainexplained
enjoyenjoyed
communicationcommunications
physical
speciespecies
title
access
employment
daughter
responsible
competition
institutioninstitutions
november
december
sunday
medical
mouth
objectobjects
heavy
obtainobtained
tomorrow
requirementrequirements
documentdocuments
optionoptions
primary
listenlistening
eventually
occasionoccasions
ability
highly
hotel
killkilled
conceptconcepts
ensure
baby
arrangementarrangements
fightfighting
surface
fingerfingers
birdbirds
campaign
equipment
fully
disease
division
lack
strategystrategies
independent
slightly
software
hot
peace
christmas
direct
hardly
otherwise
directly
ownerowners
shouldershoulders
employeeemployees
discussdiscussed
radio
direction
trouble
sportsports
beautiful
civil
status
sound
sentencesentences
variety
safety
completely
tea
box
sector
joinjoined
culture
argueargued
newspapernewspapers
weight
mark
readerreaders
secondary, stress
obvious
nationnations
context
none
afternoon
publishpublished
copycopies
february
positive
partnerpartners
miss
essential
extra
drugdrugs
alright
starstars
saturday
rockrocks
appeal
sex
branchbranches
introduceintroduced
chief
neither
kitchen
proveproved
afterwards, subsequently, afterward
limitlimited
library
replyreplied
pupilpupils
chairman
contributioncontributions
cash
version
artistartists
league
agentagents
county
environmental
presence
truth
blue
mediummedia
exchange
relevant
august
balance
slowly
relatively
agencyagencies
deep
affectaffected
budget
protection
marriage
consequenceconsequences
collection
brown
speech
nuclear
identifyidentified
survey
latter
failure
annual
practical
forgetforgotten
career
chair
teachteaching
apparently
text
average
separate
savesavings
merely
plus
memory
studio
regular
opposition
facilityfacilities
commercial
bar
post
edge
politics
determinedetermined
reference
quick, fast
aid
instead
expression
associateassociated
influence
quarter
opinion
additional
largely
candidatecandidates
somebody
writerwriters
pain
gas
active
scale
clotheclothes
stock
impact
nevertheless
regional
complex
powerful
speaker
carefully
corner
vehiclevehicles
length
race
employeremployers
telephone
river
seekseeking
possibility
strength
insurance
currently
ball
impossible
female
somewhere
skin
confidence
wind
legislation
message
holiday
railway, railroad
trust
sexual
network
attack
ordinary
entirely
previously
tonight
actual
releasereleased
songsongs
failfailed
extremely
fresh
scene
conservative
speed
solution
wagewages
credit
occuroccurs
distance
starestared, staring
band
internal
excellent
arrivearrived
fairly
technical
domestic
relativerelatives
avoid
crime
traffic
introduction
increasingly
forty
administration
replacereplaced
mum
sister
existence
executive
hill
kingdom
equally
phone
cultural
winter
alternative
loanloans
serveserved
rich
categorycategories
proper
commentcomments
famous
religious
spirit
trial
advanceadvanced
relief
progress
straight
queen
formal
sight
coffee
prison
review
accident
paintpaintings, painting
earth
reality
contentcontents
strange
sleep
unable
warm
assessment
ahead
proportion
adultadults
dinner
distribution
weekend
lovely
ringrang
usual
wine
rural
twice
equal
victimvictims
path
whereas
stuff
nobody
substantial
reasonable
onto
aircraft
removeremoved
background
prepareprepared
soft
transport
battle
joint
contrast
immediate
safe
everybody
debate
suitable
ought
manner
prevent
throwthrew, thrown
representrepresents, represented
freedom
selection
pair
dangdanger
relaterelating, related
comparecompared
managemanaged
due
afraid
flat
sufficient
earears
democratic
match
unemployment
modulemodules
capacity
expensive
construction
whilst
video
supply
christian
totally
mental
scientific
football
weather
beside
absolutely
absence
damage
district
critical
dangerous
senior
exercise
educational
partly
familiar
seriously
elsewhere
fear
recognition
necessarily
properly
track
output
crisis
unlikely
feefees
correct
commitment
regardregarded
rain
victory
widely
dear
silence
perfect
target
grantgranted
colleaguecolleagues
friday
closely
expenditure
audience
reaction
neck
conversation
historical
tiny
improve
congress
shape
consideration
bright
appearance
conflict
estate
threat
boat
violence
upper
empty
volume
emphasis
assembly
urban, urbane
apparent
quiet
dry
monday
contact
except
membership
route
shakeshook
institute
pleasure
cabinet
murder
bus
careful
literature
heat
faith
island
dad
farm
aye
liberal
driver
entry
eat
attractive
investigation
breath
fair
birth
description
wood
tend
vital
spring
curriculum
belief
conclusion
coal
effectively
thin
etc
notice
gentleman
hell
liplips
exhibition
treaty
engine
lunch
tradition
package
flowerflowers
dependdepends
elderly
sky
anybody
external
capable
reform, re-form
generation
beneath
desire
busy
ancient
wonderful
broad
treattreated
tour
plenty
narrow
entire
bag
aim
definition
acid
atmosphere
welfare
doubt
typical
meanwhile
examination
trooptroops
debt
milk
address
reduction
criticism
toothteeth
explanation
nodnodded
visitorvisitors
challenge
creation
intention
master
foreforest
journey
screen
leadership
flight
engineerengineering
farmerfarmers
significance
rare
via
least
somewhat
museum
phase
terrible
metal
motion
unfortunately
severe
factory
wild
strongly
laughlaughed
bloody
corporate
brain
tall
rapidly
protect
criminal
injury
permanent
respect
desk
brief
hole
fundamental
similarly
implicationimplications
originally
funny
wonderwondered
noise
somehow
double
odd
inner
crucial
independence
bridge
constant
combination
perfectly
maintain
settlement
justice
session
wednesday
appointment
virtually
fashion
academic
temperature
consumer
finance
initial
drink
motor
afford
search
massive
pool
transfer
youth
unique
objectiveobjectives
author
interpretation
sample
vote
assistance
file
parliamentary
unknown
grey
badly
moreover
crowd
subsequent
finishfinished
iron
minor
contemporary
nose
meal
ship
alive
negative
bedroom
beauty
guilty
proceedproceedings
pretty
angry
sequence
impression
tone
sheet
regulationregulations
inflation
enormous
enterprise
fuel
rarely
improvement
tape
significantly
naturally
involvement
kidkids
teartears
pick
accommodation
mine
roof
quietly
grass
shock
fruit
revolution
unusual
gold
pension
anywhere
long-term
code
spot
distinction
heavily
extensive
bottle
revenue
glad
vision
friendly
sum
plastic
row
breakfast
crown
clean
location
gently
imagine
slow
lucky
maintenance
display
establishment
worry
efficient
encourage
index
weaponweapons
bottom
passage
occasionally
firmly
formation
comfortable
identity
abroad
countryside
mostly
sudden
soil
approval
concentration
autumn
conventional
criterioncriteria
magazine
enable
voluntary
editor
valuable
theatre
regularly
spokesman
household
agriculture
touch
guide
judge
intendintended
error
dramatic
golden
temporary
shortly
decline
initially
pub
framework
recovery
cat
rail
chest
silent
theme
video-taped, video-tape
marrymarried
characteristiccharacteristics
yellow
keen
liability
electricity
specifically
statutory
federal
overall
religion
deeply
wealth
coast
height
decade
interview
thursday
publication
bread
resistance
ice
cancer
representativerepresentatives
eggeggs
reputation
cope
democracy
lifespan
offence
recession
panel
dress
struggle
border
deputy
yardyards
trip
gradually
negotiationnegotiations
co-operation, cooperation
notion
acceptable
initiative
competitive
stairstairs
shoeshoes
outcome
sensitive
foundation
representation
essentially
supportersupporters
assetassets
delivery
global
aside
chain
ministry
meat
expansion
flow
dream
emotional
parish
adequate
weak
resolution
tuesday
instructioninstructions
sharp
pale, palea
furniture
soldiersoldiers
administrative
wooden
efficiency
healthy
block
enter
hello
pocket
remarkable
mistake
request
scientistscientists
map
extension
restaurant
apart
brilliant
diet
tired
connection
link
licence
strike
convention
precisely
mountain
gun
awareness
absolute
inquiry
store
regime
residentresidents
corporation
focus
arrival
plane
sad
dependent
fault
expressexpressed
electronic
rapid
comprehensive
golf
enemy
pollution
constitution
database
scope
pure
minority
taste
metremetres
literary
daily
guestguests
successfully
incident
supreme
fit
comparison
greatly
coat
genuine
visual
gap
politicianpoliticians
defendant
preparation
rough
captain
priority
proposeproposed
wedwedding
beer
premisepremises
exciteexciting
expectationexpectations
mood
retirement
briefly
citizencitizens
presumably
check
conservation
definedefined
nineteenth
solid
widespread
darkness
confident
philosophy
sugar
sake
plate
expertexperts
illness
throat
altogether
numerous
everywhere
classical
respectively
distinct
statisticstatistics
stupid
consumption
componentcomponents
truly
judgment
professor
tension
drama
whenever
tooltools
thick
partnership
command
presentation
consent
sweet
earnings
bindbound
definitely
helpful
mad
neighbourneighbours
survival
shootshot
permission
intervention
promotion
hat
corp
basically
poverty
frame
consistent
suggestion
proud
mixture
birthday
wave
compensation
emergency
anxious
inevitably
nervous
perspective
entrance
currency
pullpulled
ownership
extreme
constantly
profession
prospect
reasonably
mentionmentioned
crowcrew
conscious
assumption
dominant
electric
gain
winner
adoptadopted
strategic
ruth
sheep
territory
alcohol
achievement
holy
prize
personnel
core
shareholdershareholders
beach
festival
pilot
depth
outstandoutstanding
port
clause
theoretical
discoverdiscovered
entitleentitled
breach
clinical
soul
gate
mirror
attend
servantservants
sand
grand
photographphotographs
solicitor
symptomsymptoms
guidance
plaintiff
prince
prisonerprisoners
examine
storage
honest
ideal
moral
tough
waste
impressive
jacket
visible
snow
advertiseadvertising
empire
percent
accurate
admit
enthusiasm
exception
furthermore
phrase
considerably
intelligence
distant
tendency
mechanism
precise
constitutional
wet
gentle
alliance
charity
awful
disabledisabled
residential
device
ultimately
travel
economics
landscape
cricket
secondly
valley
remote
leisure
origin
circle
personality
observation
anger
ratio
input
smooth
column
architecture
approximately
monetary
possession
poll
abuse
slight
silly
nurse
discovery
childhood
suit
satisfaction
appointappointed
climate
isolateisolated
implementation
readily
experimentexperiments
andy
opposite
camp
confusion
cake
deliberately
determination
automatically
dividedivided
clock
championship
unemployed
violent
cheap
false
frequency
tank
psychological
inevitable
disaster
musical
boss
restrictionrestrictions
champion
respond
purchase
protein
evaluation
expense
grateful
headquarters
mode
luck
sensible
dozen
pace
newly
stomach
alongside
roman
helen
mass
lucy
channel
wing
commitcommitted
realise, realize
chemical
fill
variation
pleasant
guitar
criticcritics
net
poetry
laboratory
referreferred
conduct
survive
knife
signal
so-called
principal
participation
undertakeundertaken
string
employemployed
dispute
infection
dressed
proof
dave
suffersuffering
republic
promote
thereby
dirty
castle
investorinvestors
junior
bath, bathe
imagination
deaf
recognise, recognize

Index

October 18th, 2007
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