Do you know the most common English words?
This is a list of the top 100 words used in the English language! Many of the most common words in English are basic words, but they are used in many different ways by native speakers. Here’s a list of the 100 most common words in English, followed by example sentences for each one.
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- time
- year
- people
- way
- day
- man
- thing
- woman
- life
- child
- world
- school
- state
- family
- student
- group
- country
- problem
- hand
- part
- place
- case
- week
- company
- system
- program
- question
- work
- government
- number
- night
- point
- home
- water
- room
- mother
- area
- money
- story
- fact
- month
- lot
- right
- study
- book
- eye
- job
- word
- business
- issue
- side
- kind
- head
- house
- service
- friend
- father
- power
- hour
- game
- line
- end
- member
- law
- car
- city
- community
- name
- president
- team
- minute
- idea
- kid
- body
- information
- back
- parent
- face
- others
- level
- office
- door
- health
- person
- art
- war
- history
- party
- result
- change
- morning
- reason
- research
- girl
- guy
- moment
- air
- teacher
- force
- education
Example sentences with the most common words in English
Here are some sentences showing how to use the 100 most common words in English. Keep in mind, however, that many of the most common words have multiple meanings – so this is just one example of how to use each word.
- the: “The sun is shining brightly today.”
(learn more about how to use “the” in English) - of: “I am a fan of classical music.”
- and: “Sheila and Mark went to the park.”
- a: “I bought a new book yesterday.”
- to: “I need to finish my homework before dinner.”
(learn about the difference between TO and FOR) - in: “We live in a small town.”
- is: “The cat is sleeping on the couch.”
- you: “Can you pass me the salt, please?”
- that: “I hope that you have a great day!”
- it: “It is raining outside.”
- he: “He is an excellent singer.”
- was: “She was very happy about her promotion.”
- for: “I bought a gift for my sister’s birthday.”
- on: “Please put the book on the table.”
(learn about IN, ON, AT) - are: “They are my best friends.”
- as: “She works as a teacher at the local school.”
- with: “I went to the park with my friends.”
- his: “John forgot his wallet at home.”
- they: “They are going on vacation next week.”
- I: “I love to read books in my free time.”
- at: “We will meet at the restaurant for dinner.”
- be: “To succeed, you need to be dedicated and hardworking.”
(learn about BE, BEING, BEEN) - this: “This is my favorite movie of all time.”
- have: “I have a meeting at 2 p.m.”
- from: “She received a gift from her friend.”
- or: “You can choose to have coffee or tea.”
- one: “Can I have just one slice of pizza?”
- had: “He had a great time at the party.”
(learn about “had had” in English) - by: “The report was written by Sarah.”
- word: “He didn’t say a single word throughout the meeting.”
- but: “I want to go out, but I have to finish my work first.”
- not: “I did not expect to see you here.”
- what: “What is your favorite color?”
- all: “All students must submit their assignments by Friday.”
- were: “They were excited about their upcoming vacation.”
- we: “We should plan our next project carefully.”
- when: “I usually go for a walk in the morning when it’s cooler.”
- your: “Please remember to bring your ID card with you.”
(learn about YOUR vs. YOU’RE) - can: “I can help you with your homework if you need assistance.”
- said: “She said she would be here by 9 a.m.”
- at: “I met him at the conference last week.”
- use: “You can use this tool to fix the problem.”
- an: “She is an excellent pianist.”
- each: “Each student received a certificate of achievement.”
- which: “Can you tell me which book you recommend?”
- she: “She is a talented artist.”
- do: “What do you want to do this weekend?”
(learn about DO vs. MAKE) - how: “Can you show me how to solve this math problem?”
- their: “The students finished their projects ahead of schedule.”
- if: “If it rains, we will stay indoors.”
- will: “I will call you back tomorrow.”
- up: “Please clean up the kitchen after cooking.”
- other: “I saw her talking to some other students in the cafeteria.”
- about: “Let’s have a discussion about our plans for the weekend.”
- out: “He ran out of the room in a hurry.”
- many: “There are many books on the shelf.”
- then: “Finish your homework first, and then you can play.”
(learn about THEN vs. THAN) - them: “Please pass them the documents they need for the meeting.”
- these: “These flowers are beautiful.”
- so: “I was feeling tired, so I decided to take a nap.”
- some: “Could you please give me some water?”
- her: “I saw her at the party last night.”
- would: “If I had more time, I would travel around the world.”
- make: “She can make delicious homemade cookies.”
- like: “I really like the new song by that artist.”
(learn about I LIKE vs. I’D LIKE) - him: “I haven’t seen him since last week.”
- into: “She walked into the room and greeted everyone.”
- time: “We need to manage our time effectively to meet the deadline.”
(learn phrases and expressions with TIME) - has: “He has a lot of experience in the field.”
- look: “Please look at this picture and tell me what you see.”
- two: “I need to buy two tickets for the concert.”
- more: “We need to hire more employees to handle the workload.”
- write: “She likes to write stories in her free time.”
- go: “Let’s go to the park and enjoy the sunny weather.”
- see: “I can see the beautiful sunset from my window.”
- number: “The number of participants in the event exceeded our expectations.”
- no: “I’m sorry, but there’s no more cake left.”
- way: “There’s always more than one way to solve a problem.”
- could: “Could you please pass me the salt?”
(learn about SHOULD, COULD, and WOULD) - people: “The conference room was filled with people attending the meeting.”
- my: “This is my favorite book.”
- than: “She is taller than her brother.”
- first: “I would like to be the first to congratulate you on your achievement.”
- water: “Remember to drink enough water throughout the day.”
- been: “I have been to Paris twice.”
- call: “Please give me a call when you arrive.”
- who: “Do you know who won the competition?”
- oil: “I need to change the oil in my car.”
- its: “The dog wagged its tail happily.”
- now: “We should start working on the project now.”
- find: “I need to find my keys before I leave.”
- long: “He waited for a long time for the bus to arrive.”
- down: “Please write down the important points from the presentation.”
- day: “Today is a beautiful day.”
- did: “Did you finish your homework?”
- get: “I need to get a new pair of shoes.”
(learn 20 phrasal verbs with GET) - come: “She invited us to come to her birthday party.”
- made: “The artist made a beautiful sculpture out of clay.”
- may: “You may leave the meeting if you have completed your tasks.”
- part: “Each team member played a crucial part in the project’s success.”
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Can you write an example sentence with each of the most common English words? Give it a try! Also be sure to check out: