The 50 Most Commonly Used Words in the English Language

Common English Words

All

• Everyone in a group.
• All the children did their homework.

And

• A conjunction that joins parts of speech together in a sentence.
• She jumped, jogged, and danced in gym class.

Boy

• A male child.
• The little boy asked his mother if she would buy him candy.

Book

• A long text of words that people read.
• The college student had to read a 500-page book for English class.

Call

• To yell out or speak loudly; to contact someone by phone.
• The girl called out to her brother so he would wait for her.

Car

• A four-wheeled vehicle that transports people from one place to another.
• He drove the car from school to work.

Chair

• A piece of furniture that can hold one person.
• My mother is the only one allowed to sit in the big chair in the living room.

Children

• Young people who have not yet reached adulthood.
• The children didn't listen to what their parents told them.

City

• A place where many people live.
• New York is the biggest city in the United States.

Dog

• An animal that many people have as a household pet.
• My dog likes to play with bones.

Door

• A passageway from which you can enter or exit a room or a building.
• The students rushed through the classroom door just before the bell rang.

Enemy

• The opposite of a friend. A competitor or rival.
• The hero of the story killed his enemy with a sword.

End

• To finish something or come to a conclusion.
• The end of the book was a happy one.

Enough

• To have more than one needs of something.
• Most Americans have enough food to eat, but that's not true in other countries.

Eat

• To consume food.
• The children liked to eat apples and bananas after school.

Friend

• The opposite of an enemy. Someone on your side and with whom you enjoy spending time.
• The girl played with her friend in the yard until her mother told her to come inside.

Father

• A male parent.
• The father picked up his child when she started crying.

Go

• To travel to and from a location.
• We go to school every day.

Good

• To behave well or in a kind manner.
• My mother said that if I'm good and don't hit my brother, she will take me to the movies.

Girl

• A female child.
• The girl dropped her schoolbooks on the ground.

Food

• An edible substance that people, animals, and plants eat to live.
• Starving people do not have enough food to eat and may die.

Hear

• To listen to something.
• I could hear my brother and sister arguing from the other room.

House

• A place where people, often families, live.
• My friend lives in the biggest house on the street.

Inside

• The internal part of something or to be located within something.
• The inside of the house was warm and cozy.

Laugh

• To express that you find something amusing.
• The children laughed after the clown made a joke.

Listen

• To hear something.
• We listen to music because we like to dance.

Man

• An adult male.
• The man was much taller than his son.

Name

• The title of a place, book, person, etc.
• I never liked my name growing up.

Never

• Not ever.
• I am never getting back together with my boyfriend.

Next

• The thing that happens after something else in a sequence; to be situated by something else.
• Let's go to the next question.

New

• Something just created or unused or unopened.
• My mother bought me a new doll for Christmas. It was still in the package.

Noise

• Loud sounds, especially made by music or a group of people.
• There was so much noise at the party, the neighbors called the police.

Often

• To happen frequently.
• My teacher gets mad because I often forget my homework.

Pair

• Two things that go together.
• I like the new pair of shoes my sister bought me for my birthday.

Pick

• To choose or select.
• I picked the cupcake with vanilla frosting.

Play

• To have fun with someone or engage in an activity or sport.
• I like to play football with my brother.

Room

• A part of a home, building, office or another structure.
• The room at the end of the hall is the coldest in the building.

See

• To watch or observe something.
• I see clouds in the sky, which must mean it will rain soon.

Sell

• To offer a service or a good for a price.
• I am going to sell my surfboard for $50 because it's time for a new one.

Sit

• To rest on a floor, chair, or another surface.
• The teacher told the children to sit on the carpet.

Speak

• To say something.
• I speak too loudly sometimes.

Smile

• To grin or show pleasure.
• I smile when my brother tells jokes.

Sister

• The opposite of brother. The female child in relation to other children of the same parents.
• My parents took my sister and me to the circus.

Think

• To contemplate something or have an idea or belief.
• I think all pets should have a home.

Then

• Something that comes after an event in a sequence.
• I opened the refrigerator. Then, I ate some food.

Walk

• To travel on foot.
• I walk home from school every day.

Water

• A substance plants, people, animals, and the earth need to survive.
• If animals don't have enough water to drink, they will die.

Work

• To make a living, engage in an activity for pay, or to reach a goal.
• I work as a teacher because I like children.

Write

• To put something on paper with a pen or pencil. To use a computer to type text.
• I have to write three essays in English class this semester.

Woman

• A female adult.
• That woman was our new school principal.

Yes

• To answer affirmatively or respond to one's name being called.
• "Yes, I'm here," the student said when the teacher called her name.