Most common English words: the 12 that carry everyday speech
A1–A212 words
A few hundred words make up more than half of everything written and spoken in English, and the very top of that list is dominated by short, flexible words that do many jobs at once. Knowing them precisely — not just recognising them — is what makes ordinary sentences easy.
Where you will use it: Beginner English, reading and everyday conversation.
Most Common English Words — The word list
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get | To obtain, receive or become.“I get the bus at eight.” |
| make | To create or cause something.“Don't make a decision today.” |
| take | To carry, remove or accept.“Take an umbrella with you.” |
| go | To move from one place to another.“We go there every summer.” |
| know | To have information or be familiar with.“I know what you mean.” |
| think | To have an opinion or use your mind.“I think it will rain.” |
| want | To wish for something.“She wants a quieter job.” |
| use | To employ something for a purpose.“Use this key for the back door.” |
| find | To discover or locate.“I can't find my phone.” |
| keep | To continue having or doing something.“Keep the receipt.” |
| leave | To go away, or to let something remain.“Leave the door open.” |
| mean | To have a particular sense or intention.“What does this word mean?” |
How to study this list
Add five or six of these words a day rather than all twelve at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.
Studying most common english words pairs well with our English irregular verbs list, essential phrasal verbs list and English small talk phrases, or browse all free English word lists.
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