the 1200 most frequently used words

The 1200 Most Frequently Used Words in the English Language

This list is from Rebecca Sitton’s “Spelling Sourcebook,” pages 77-82. It is a “cross-referenced compilation” of several massive word studies, including the American Heritage Word Frequency Study (Carroll, Davies, Richman), and several other studies, including the work of Gates, Horn, Rinsland, Greene and Loomer, Harris and Jacobsen.

1. the2. of3. and4. a5. to6. in7. is8. you9. that10. it11. he12. for13. was14. on15. are16. as17. with18. his19. they20. at21. be22. this23. from24. I25. have26. or27. by28. one29. had30. not31. but32. what33. all34. were35. when

36. we37. there38. can39. an40. your41. which42. their43. said44. if45. do46. will47. each48. about49. how50. up51. out52. them53. then54. she55. many56. some57. so58. these59. would60. other61. into62. has63. more64. her65. two66. like67. him68. see69. time70. could

71. no72. make73. than74. first75. been76. its77. who78. now79. people80. my81. made82. over83. did84. down85. only86. way87. find88. use89. may90. water91. long92. little93. very94. after95. words96. called97. just98. where99. most100.know101.get102.through103.back104.much105.go

106.good107.new108.write109.our110.me111.man112.too113.any114.day115.same116.right117.look118.think119.also120.around121.another122.came123.come124.work125.three126.must127.because128.does129.heart130.even131.place132.well133.such134.here135.take136.why137.help138.put139.different140.away

1200 High Frequency Words of 7

141.again142.off143.went144.old145.number146.great147.tell148.men149.say150.small151.every152.found153.still154.between155.name156.should157.home158.big159.give160.air161.line162.set163.own164.under165.read166.last167.never168.us169.left170.end171.along172.while173.might174.next175.sound176.below177.saw178.something179.thought180.both181.few182.those183.always184.show185.large

186.often187.together188.asked189.house190.don’t191.world192.going193.want194.school195.important196.until197.form198.food199.keep200.children201.feet202.land203.side204.without205.boy206.once207.animal208.life209.enough210.took211.for212.head213.above214.kind215.began216.almost217.live218.page219.got220.earth221.need222.far223.hand224.high225.year226.mother227.light228.country229.father230.let

231.night232.picture233.being234.study235.second236.soon237.story238.since239.white240.ever241.paper242.hard243.near244.sentence245.better246.best247.across248.during249.today250.however251.sure252.knew253.it’s254.try255.told256.young257.sun258.thing259.whole260.hear261.example262.heard263.several264.change265.answer266.room267.sea268.against269.top270.turned271.learn272.point273.city274.play275.toward

276.five277.himself278.usually279.money280.seen281.didn’t282.car283.morning284.I’m285.body286.upon287.family288.later289.turn290.move291.face292.door293.cut294.dome295.group296.true297.half298.red299.fish300.plants301.living302.black303.eat304.short305.United States306.run307.book308.gave309.order310.open311.ground312.cold313.really314.table315.remember316.tree317.course318.front319.American320.space


321.inside322.ago323.sad324.early325.I’ll326.learned327.brought328.close329.nothing330.though331.idea332.before333.lived334.became335.add336.become337.grow338.draw339.yet340.less341.wind342.behind343.cannot344.letter345.among346.able347.dog348.shown349.mean350.English351.rest352.perhaps353.certain354.six355.feel356.fire357.ready358.green359.yes360.built361.special362.ran363.full364.town365.complete

366.oh367.person368.hot369.anything370.hold371.state372.list373.stood374.hundred375.ten376.fast377.felt378.kept379.notice380.can’t381.strong382.voice383.probably384.area385.horse386.matter387.stand388.box389.start390.that’s391.class392.piece393.surface394.river395.common396.stop397.am398.talk399.whether400.fine401.round402.dark403.past404.ball405.girl406.road407.blue408.instead409.either410.held

411.already412.warm413.gone414.finally415.summer416.understand417.moon418.animals419.mind420.outside421.power422.problem423.longer424.winter425.deep426.heavy427.carefully428.follow429.beautiful430.everyone431.leave432.everything433.game434.system435.bring436.watch437.shell438.dry439.within440.floor441.ice442.ship443.themselves444.begin445.fact446.third447.quite448.carry449.distance450.although451.sat452.possible453.heart454.real455.simple

456.snow457.rain458.suddenly459.easy460.leaves461.lay462.size463.wild464.weather465.miss466.pattern467.sky468.walked469.main470.someone471.center472.field473.stay474.itself475.boat476.question477.wide478. least479.tiny480.hour481.happened482.foot483.care484.low485.else486.gold487.build488.glass489.rock490.tall491.alone492.bottom493.check494.reading495.fall496.poor497.map498.friend499.language500.job


501.music502.buy503.window504.mark505.heat506.grew507.listen508.ask509.single510.clear511.energy512.week513.explain514.lost515.spring516.travel517.wrote518.farm519.circle520.whose521.correct522.bed523.measure524.straight525.base526.mountain527.caught528.hair529.bird530.wood531.color532.war533.fly534.yourself535.seem536.thus537.square538.moment539.teacher540.happy541.bright542.sent543.present544.plan545.rather

546.length547.speed548.machine549.information550.except551.figure552.you’re553.free554.fell555.suppose556.natural557.ocean558.government559.baby560.grass561.plane562.street563.couldn’t564.reason565.difference566.maybe567.history568.mouth569.middle570.step571.child572.strange573.wish574.soil575.human576.trip577.woman578.eye579.milk580.choose581.north582.seven583.famous584.late585.pay586.sleep587.iron588.trouble589.store590.beside

591.oil592.modern593.fun594.catch595.business596.reach597.lot598.won’t599.case600.speak601.shape602.eight603.edge604.soft605.village606.object607.age608.minute609.wall610.meet611.record612.copy613.forest614.especially615.necessary616.he’s617.unit618.flat619.direction620.south621.subject622.skin623.wasn’t624.I’ve625.yellow626.party627.force628.test629.bad630.temperature631.pair632.ahead633.wrong634.practice635.sand

636.tail637.wait638.difficult639.general640.cover641.material642.isn’t643.thousand644.sign645.guess646.forward647.huge648.ride649.region650.nor651.period652.blood653.rich654.team655.corner656.cat657.amount658.garden659.led660.note661.various662.race663.bit664.result665.brother666.addition667.doesn’t668.dead669.weight670.thin671.stone672.hit673.wife674.island675.we’ll676.opposite677.born678.sense679.cattle680.million


681.anyone682.rule683.science684.afraid685.women686.produce687.pull688.son689.meant690.broken691.interest692.chance693.thick694.sight695.pretty696.train697.fresh698.drive699.lead700.break701.sit702.bought703.radio704.method705.king706.similar707.return708.corn709.decide710.position711.bear712.hope713.song714.engine715.board716.control717.spread718.evening719.brown720.clean721.wouldn’t722.section723.spent724.ring725.teeth

726.quiet727.ancient728.stick729.afternoon730.silver731.nose732.century733.therefore734.level735.you’ll736.death737.hole738.coast739.cross740.sharp741.fight742.capital743.fill744.deal745.busy746.beyond747.send748.love749.cool750.cause751.please752.meat753.lady754.west755.glad756.action757.pass758.type759.attention760.gas761.kitchen762.pick763.scale764.basic765.happen766.safe767.grown768.cost769.wear770.act

771.hat772.arm773.believe774.major775.gray776.wonder777.include778.describe779.electric780.sold781.visit782.sheep783.I’d784.office785.row786.contain787.fit788.equal789.value790.yard791.beat792.inch793.sugar794.key795.product796.desert797.bank798.farther799.won800.total801.sell802.wire803.rose804.cotton805.spoke806.rope807.fear808.shore809.throughout810.compare811.movement812.exercise813.bread814.process815.nature

816.apart817.path818.careful819.narrow820.mental821.nine822.useful823.public824.according825.steel826.salt827.speech828.forth829.nation830.knowledge831.appear832.ate833.dinner834.hurt835.spend836.experiment837.touch838.drop839.chair840.east841.separate842.truck843.sing844.column845.twice846.particular847.shop848.unless849.spot850.neither851.met852.wheel853.none854.hill855.television856.bill857.solve858.pressure859.report860.farmer


861.count862.trade863.chief864.month865.clothes866.doctor867.indeed868.dance869.church870.original871.enjoy872.string873.sister874.familiar875.onto876.imagine877.blow878.quick879.law880.lie881.final882.rise883.loud884.fair885.herself886.slow887.noise888.statement889.hungry890.join891.tube892.rode893.empty894.twenty895.broke896.nice897.effect898.paid899.motion900.myself901.divide902.supply903.laid904.dear905.surprise

906.gun907.entire908.fruit909.crowd910.band911.wet912.solid913.northern914.flower915.star916.feed917.wooden918.sort919.develop920.shoulder921.variety922.season923.share924.jump925.regular926.represent927.market928.we’re929.flew930.finger931.expect932.army933.cabin934.camp935.danger936.purpose937.breakfast938.proper939.coat940.push941.express942.shot943.angry944.southern945.dress946.bag947.proud948.neck949.breath950.strength

951.member952.twelve953.mine954.company955.current956.pound957.valley958.double959.till960.match961.average962.die963.liquid964.alive965.stream966.provide967.drink968.experience969.future970.tomorrow971.drove972.population973.finish974.station975.shook976.stage977.oxygen978.poem979.solution980.burn981.cent982.electricity983.everybody984.rat985.dust986.worth987.community988.captain989.bus990.protect991.cook992.raise993.further994.steam995.guide

996.discover997.plain998.usual999.seat1000. accept1001. police1002. consider1003. dozen1004. baseball1005. rubber1006. symbol1007. support1008. exactly1009. industry1010. they’re1011. beneath1012. laugh1013. groceries1014. popular1015. thank1016. quarter1017. climbed1018. continue1019. potatoes1020. receive1021. design1022. president1023. charge1024. mistake1025. hospital1026. remain1027. service1028. increase1029. students1030. insects1031. address1032. sincerely1033. dollars1034. belong1035. bottle1036. flight1037. forget1038. bicycle1039. secret1040. soldier


1041. silent1042. structure1043. height1044. observe1045. indicate1046. railroad1047. knife1048. married1049. suggested1050. entered1051. magazine1052. agree1053. fifty1054. escape1055. threw1056. planet1057. dangerous1058. event1059. leader1060. peace1061. spelling1062. chapter1063. swimming1064. opportunity1065. immediately1066. favorite1067. settled1068. telephone1069. repeat1070. prepare1071. instance1072. avenue1073. newspaper1074. actually1075. employee1076. review1077. convince1078. allowed1079. nobody1080. details1081. muscles1082. model1083. climate1084. coffee1085. whenever

1086. serious1087. angle1088. feather1089. determined1090. dictionary1091. ordinary1092. extra1093. rough1094. library1095. condition1096. arrived1097. located1098. program1099. pencil1100. tongue1101. title1102. enemy1103. garage1104. lose1105. vegetable1106. parents1107. style1108. education1109. required1110. political1111. daughter1112. individual1113. progress1114. altogether1115. activities1116. article1117. equipment1118. discuss1119. healthy1120. perfect1121. recognize1122. frequently1123. character1124. personal1125. disappear1126. success1127. traffic1128. yesterday1129. situation1130. realize

1131. message1132. recently1133. account1134. physical1135. neighbor1136. excited1137. whisper1138. available1139. college1140. furniture1141. leather1142. husband1143. principal1144. medicine1145. excellent1146. operation1147. council1148. author1149. organize1150. concern1151. barbecue1152. accident1153. disease1154. construction1155. motor1156. affect1157. conversation1158. evidence1159. citizen1160. environment1161. influence1162. cancel1163. audience1164. apartment1165. worse1166. transportation1167. frozen1168. waste1169. couple1170. function1171. connect1172. project1173. pronounce1174. offered1175. apply

1176. improve1177. stomach1178. collect1179. prevent1180. courage1181. occur1182. foreign1183. quality1184. terrible1185. instrument1186. balance1187. ability1188. arrange1189. rhythm1190. avoid1191. daily1192. identity1193. standard1194. combine1195. attached1196. frighten1197. social1198. factory1199. license1200. recommend


the 1200 most frequently used words

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