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150 Most Frequent English Words (Free List)

By February 5, 2026English

Mastering the 150 most frequent English words is one of the most effective shortcuts to fluency for students and ESL learners. Based on extensive research from the American Heritage Word Frequency Book, this list identifies the essential building blocks of the language—including articles, pronouns, and auxiliary verbs that appear in almost every sentence.

Most Frequent Words

The Most Frequent Words

The 150 most frequent words in printed school English according to the American Heritage Word Frequency Book.

#1
the
#2
of
#3
and
#4
a
#5
to
#6
in
#7
is
#8
you
#9
that
#10
it
#11
he
#12
for
#13
was
#14
on
#15
are
#16
but
#17
what
#18
all
#19
were
#20
when
#21
we
#22
there
#23
can
#24
an
#25
your
#26
which
#27
their
#28
said
#29
if
#30
do
#31
into
#32
has
#33
more
#34
her
#35
two
#36
like
#37
him
#38
see
#39
time
#40
could
#41
no
#42
make
#43
than
#44
first
#45
been
#46
long
#47
little
#48
very
#49
after
#50
words
#51
called
#52
just
#53
where
#54
most
#55
know
#56
get
#57
through
#58
back
#59
much
#60
before
#61
also
#62
around
#63
another
#64
came
#65
come
#66
work
#67
three
#68
word
#69
must
#70
because
#71
does
#72
part
#73
even
#74
place
#75
well
#76
as
#77
with
#78
his
#79
they
#80
at
#81
be
#82
this
#83
from
#84
I
#85
have
#86
or
#87
by
#88
one
#89
had
#90
not
#91
will
#92
each
#93
about
#94
how
#95
up
#96
out
#97
them
#98
then
#99
she
#100
many
#101
some
#102
so
#103
these
#104
would
#105
other
#106
its
#107
who
#108
now
#109
people
#110
my
#111
made
#112
over
#113
did
#114
down
#115
only
#116
way
#117
find
#118
use
#119
may
#120
water
#121
go
#122
good
#123
new
#124
write
#125
our
#126
used
#127
me
#128
man
#129
too
#130
any
#131
day
#132
same
#133
right
#134
look
#135
think
#136
such
#137
here
#138
take
#139
why
#140
things
#141
help
#142
put
#143
years
#144
different
#145
away
#146
again
#147
off
#148
went
#149
old
#150
number

For teachers and parents, these high-frequency words are the perfect starting point for spelling tests, flashcards, and reading practice. Because these words are so common, learning them helps children recognize text by sight, significantly boosting reading speed and comprehension. Explore the full list below to help your students build a strong foundation in English literacy today.