Wiktionary:General Service List

This list has 2284 words in it. It was originally created to be a list of useful words, with frequency as one factor. It was created by Michael West in 1954 in thse work A General Service List of English Words, which is now believed to be in the public domain, as US copyright law at the time required that copyrights be renewed, and this was not done.

The list is here presented in frequency order.

Sections

1-200 201-400 401-600 601-800 801-1000 1001-1200 1201-1400 1401-1600 1601-1800 1801-2000 2001-2200 2201-2284

List

1-200

the • be • of • and • a • to • in • he • have • it • that • for • they • I • with • as • not • on • she • at • by • this • we • you • do • but • from • or • which • one • would • all • will • there • say • who • make • when • can • more • if • no • man • out • other • so • what • time • up • go • about • than • into • could • state • only • new • year • some • take • come • these • know • see • use • get • like • then • first • any • work • now • may • such • give • over • think • most • even • find • day • also • after • way • many • must • look • before • great • back • through • long • where • much • should • well • people • down • own • just • because • good • each • those • feel • seem • how • high • too • place • little • world • very • still • nation • hand • old • life • tell • write • become • here • show • house • both • between • need • mean • call • develop • under • last • right • move • thing • general • school • never • same • another • begin • while • number • part • turn • real • leave • might • want • point • form • off • child • few • small • since • against • ask • late • home • interest • large • person • end • open • public • follow • during • present • without • again • hold • govern • around • possible • head • consider • word • program • problem • however • lead • system • set • order • eye • plan • run • keep • face • fact • group • play • stand • increase • early • course • change • help • line

201-400

city • put • close • case • force • meet • once • water • upon • war • build • hear • light • unite • live • every • country • bring • center • let • side • try • provide • continue • name • certain • power • pay • result • question • study • woman • member • until • far • night • always • service • away • report • something • company • week • church • toward • start • social • room • figure • nature • though • young • less • enough • almost • read • include • president • nothing • yet • better • big • boy • cost • business • value • second • why • clear • expect • family • complete • act • sense • mind • experience • art • next • near • direct • car • law • industry • important • girl • god • several • matter • usual • rather • per • often • kind • among • white • reason • action • return • foot • care • simple • within • love • human • along • appear • doctor • believe • speak • active • student • month • drive • concern • best • door • hope • example • inform • body • ever • least • probable • understand • reach • effect • different • idea • whole • control • condition • field • pass • fall • note • special • talk • particular • today • measure • walk • teach • low • hour • type • carry • rate • remain • full • street • easy • although • record • sit • determine • level • local • sure • receive • thus • moment • spirit • train • college • religion • perhaps • music • grow • free • cause • serve • age • book • board • recent • sound • office • cut • step • class • true • history • position • above • strong • friend • necessary • add • court • deal • tax • support • party • whether • either • land • material • happen • education • death

401-600

agree • arm • mother • across • quite • anything • town • past • view • society • manage • answer • break • organize • half • fire • lose • money • stop • actual • already • effort • wait • department • able • political • learn • voice • air • together • shall • cover • common • subject • draw • short • wife • treat • limit • road • letter • color • behind • produce • send • term • total • university • rise • century • success • minute • remember • purpose • test • fight • watch • situation • south • ago • difference • stage • father • table • rest • bear • entire • market • prepare • explain • offer • plant • charge • ground • west • picture • hard • front • lie • modern • dark • surface • rule • regard • dance • peace • observe • future • wall • farm • claim • firm • operation • further • pressure • property • morning • amount • top • outside • piece • sometimes • beauty • trade • fear • demand • wonder • list • accept • judge • paint • mile • soon • responsible • allow • secretary • heart • union • slow • island • enter • drink • story • experiment • stay • paper • space • apply • decide • share • desire • spend • sign • therefore • various • visit • supply • officer • doubt • private • immediate • wish • contain • feed • raise • describe • ready • horse • son • exist • north • suggest • station • effective • food • deep • wide • alone • character • english • happy • critic • unit • product • respect • drop • nor • fill • cold • represent • sudden • basic • kill • fine • trouble • mark • single • press • heavy • attempt • origin • standard • everything • committee • moral • black • red • bad • earth • accord • else • mere • die • remark • basis • except • equal • east • event • employ

601-800

defense • smile • river • improve • game • detail • account • cent • sort • reduce • club • buy • attention • ship • decision • wear • inside • win • suppose • ride • operate • realize • sale • choose • park • square • vote • price • district • dead • foreign • window • beyond • direction • strike • instead • trial • practice • catch • opportunity • likely • recognize • permit • serious • attack • floor • association • spring • lot • stock • lack • hair • science • relation • profession • pattern • quick • medical • influence • occasion • machine • compare • husband • blue • international • fair • especially • indeed • imagine • surprise • average • official • temperature • difficult • sing • hit • tree • race • police • touch • relative • throw • quality • former • pull • chance • prove • argue • settle • growth • date • heat • save • performance • count • production • listen • main • pick • size • cool • army • patient • combine • summer • hall • slight • command • enjoy • length • proper • express • health • chief • evening • store • language • degree • lay • current • gun • dog • hotel • strange • separate • boat • fail • clean • dress • anyone • gain • pain • object • knowledge • depend • relate • below • dollar • advance • shape • arrange • population • yes • sell • mention • dry • check • poet • sleep • join • hot • bed • electric • dream • due • season • manner • fit • left • progress • neither • strength • notice • finish • opinion • bill • western • truth • wrong • travel • suit • bank • exact • honor • brother • quiet • marry • corner • handle • danger • hospital • pool • promise • blood • shoot • scene • literature • arrive • film • base • freedom • bar • maybe • hang • suffer • manufacture • frequent • rock • loss • burn

801-1000

sun • audience • essential • glass • prevent • poem • poor • inch • song • skill • post • popular • radio • animal • conscious • worth • eat • election • faith • wave • murder • model • forget • extend • edge • distance • memory • recommend • division • staff • leg • discussion • address • fly • dependent • ball • shake • frame • extreme • engineer • thick • comfort • latter • camp • oil • discover • examine • difficulty • tooth • middle • choice • refer • enemy • practical • marriage • bridge • declare • lady • cross • daily • afternoon • attend • director • balance • wash • capital • speed • block • citizen • mouth • hill • green • please • motor • agency • encourage • governor • worry • affair • shoulder • bright • mass • sample • pretty • repeat • roll • push • trip • council • clothe • parent • forward • sharp • straight • gas • weight • discuss • fix • load • master • whatever • round • rapid • laugh • finger • spot • propose • shop • broad • replace • reply • extent • lock • employee • ahead • sight • spread • wind • approve • destroy • none • pound • fame • importance • reflect • advantage • match • regular • wage • refuse • existence • hardly • perform • title • tend • exercise • thin • coat • bit • mountain • youth • behavior • newspaper • secret • ability • sea • soft • justice • reasonable • circle • solid • page • weapon • fast • representative • search • pure • escape • crowd • stick • telephone • avoid • garden • favor • news • unless • dinner • someone • signal • yard • ideal • warm • miss • shelter • soldier • article • cry • captain • familiar • seat • guest • weak • excite • king • everyone • wine • hole • duty • beat • perfect • bottom • compose • battle • expense • cattle • flow • kitchen • dust • bottle • admit

1001-1200

tear • tire • expression • exception • application • belong • rich • failure • struggle • instrument • variety • narrow • theater • collection • rain • review • preserve • leadership • clay • daughter • fellow • swing • thank • library • fat • reserve • tour • nice • warn • ring • bitter • chair • yesterday • scientific • flower • wheel • solution • aim • gather • invite • moreover • fresh • forest • winter • box • belief • ordinary • impossible • print • gray • taste • lip • speech • reference • stain • connection • otherwise • stretch • knife • village • blow • mistake • sweet • shout • divide • guard • worse • exchange • rare • commercial • request • appoint • agent • dependence • bird • wild • motion • guess • neighbor • seed • fashion • loan • correct • plain • mail • retire • opposite • prefer • safe • evil • double • wood • empty • baby • advise • content • sport • lift • literary • curious • tie • flat • message • neck • hate • dirt • delight • trust • nobody • valley • tool • presence • cook • railroad • minister • coffee • brush • beside • collect • guide • luck • profit • lord • everybody • prison • cloud • slave • chairman • soil • distinguish • introduce • urge • blind • arise • upper • curve • membership • key • entertain • soul • neighborhood • friendly • pair • stone • lean • protect • advertise • mystery • welcome • knee • jump • snake • stream • avenue • brown • disease • hat • excellent • formal • snow • sheet • somehow • unity • sky • rough • smooth • weather • steady • threaten • depth • oppose • deliver • ancient • pray • adopt • birth • appearance • universe • busy • hurry • coast • forth • smell • furnish • female • hide • wire • proposal • ought • victory • quarter • engine • customer • waste • fool • intend • intention • desk • politics • passage

1201-1400

lawyer • root • climb • metal • gradual • hunt • protection • satisfy • roof • branch • pleasure • witness • loose • nose • mine • band • aside • risk • tomorrow • remind • ear • fish • shore • operator • civilize • being • silent • screen • bind • earn • pack • colony • besides • slip • cousin • scale • relief • explore • stem • brain • musician • defend • bend • somebody • shadow • mix • smoke • description • fruit • guilt • yield • sensitive • salt • pale • sweep • completion • throat • agriculture • admire • gentle • dozen • particle • pleasant • bay • cup • competition • moon • terrible • strip • mechanic • shock • conversation • angle • tall • plenty • star • yellow • sick • thorough • absolute • succeed • surround • proud • dear • card • lake • breath • afraid • silence • onto • shoe • somewhere • chain • slide • copy • machinery • wake • severe • pocket • bone • honest • freeze • dictionary • calm • swim • ice • male • skin • crack • rush • wet • meat • commerce • joint • gift • host • suspect • path • uncle • afford • instant • satisfactory • height • track • confidence • grass • suggestion • favorite • breakfast • apart • chest • entrance • march • sink • northern • iron • alive • ill • bag • disturb • native • bedroom • violent • beneath • pause • tough • substance • threat • charm • absence • factory • spite • meal • universal • accident • highway • sentence • liberty • wise • noise • discovery • tube • flash • twist • fence • childhood • joy • sister • sad • efficiency • disappear • defeat • extensive • rent • comparison • possess • grace • flesh • liquid • scientist • ease • heaven • milk • sympathy • rank • restaurant • frequency • angry • shade • accuse • necessity • knock • loud • permanent • row • lovely • confuse • gold • frighten • solve

1401-1600

grave • salary • photograph • advice • abroad • wound • virtue • dare • queen • extra • attract • numerous • pink • gate • expensive • shut • chicken • forgive • holy • wooden • prompt • crime • sorry • republic • anger • visitor • pile • violence • steel • wing • stair • partner • delay • gentleman • pour • confusion • damage • kick • safety • burst • network • resistance • screw • pride • till • hire • verb • preach • clerk • everywhere • anyway • fan • connect • egg • efficient • grain • calculate • drag • opposition • worship • arrest • discipline • string • harbor • camera • mechanism • cow • grand • funny • insurance • reduction • strict • lesson • tight • sand • plate • qualify • elsewhere • mad • interference • pupil • fold • royal • valuable • whisper • anybody • hurt • excess • quantity • fun • mud • extension • recognition • kiss • crop • sail • attractive • habit • relieve • wisdom • persuade • certainty • cloth • eager • deserve • sympathetic • cure • trap • puzzle • powder • raw • mankind • glad • blame • whenever • anxiety • bus • tremble • sacred • fortunate • glory • golden • neat • weekend • treasury • overcome • cat • sacrifice • complain • elect • roar • sake • temple • self • compete • nurse • stuff • stomach • peculiar • repair • storm • ton • desert • allowance • servant • hunger • conscience • bread • crash • tip • strengthen • proof • generous • sir • tonight • whip • tongue • mill • merchant • coal • ruin • introduction • courage • actor • belt • stir • package • punish • reflection • breathe • anywhere • amuse • dull • fate • net • fellowship • fault • furniture • beam • pencil • border • disappoint • flame • joke • bless • corn • shell • tempt • supper • destruction • dive • anxious • shine • cheap • dish • distant • greet • flood • excuse • insect

1601-1800

ocean • ceremony • decrease • prize • harm • insure • verse • pot • sincere • cotton • leaf • rub • medicine • stroke • bite • lung • lonely • admission • stupid • scratch • composition • broadcast • drum • resist • neglect • absent • passenger • adventure • beg • pipe • beard • bold • meanwhile • devil • cheer • nut • split • melt • swear • sugar • bury • wipe • faint • creature • tail • wealth • earnest • translate • suspicion • noble • inquiry • journey • hesitate • extraordinary • borrow • owe • funeral • ambition • mixture • slope • criminal • seldom • map • spin • praise • spare • plow • telegraph • barrel • straighten • scarce • lunch • slavery • creep • sweat • gay • stiff • brave • seize • convenient • horizon • moderate • complicate • dig • curse • weigh • priest • excessive • quarrel • widow • modest • dine • politician • custom • educate • salesman • nail • tap • eastern • possession • satisfaction • behave • mercy • scatter • objection • silver • tent • saddle • wrap • nest • grind • spell • plaster • arch • swell • friendship • bath • bundle • grateful • crown • boundary • nowhere • asleep • clock • boil • altogether • lend • holiday • precious • wander • ugly • reputation • ticket • pretend • dismiss • delicate • despair • awake • tea • false • fortune • cap • thread • haste • bare • shirt • bargain • leather • rail • butter • dot • inquire • warmth • decisive • vessel • pity • steam • pin • bound • companion • toe • reward • forbid • wherever • tower • bathe • lodge • swallow • multiply • bow • kingdom • garage • permission • pump • prevention • urgent • aunt • zero • idle • fever • Christmas • regret • jaw • soap • pronounce • empire • bowl • outline • organ • imitation • caution • mineral • disagree • blade • trick • treasure • immense • convenience • disapprove • destructive

1801-2000

fork • noon • ownership • tune • polish • poison • shame • loyalty • cottage • astonish • shave • feather • sauce • lid • debt • fade • confess • classification • descend • cape • mild • clever • envelope • invention • sheep • splendid • stamp • float • brick • rice • businessman • backward • qualification • artificial • attraction • lamp • curl • shower • elder • bunch • bell • steer • flavor • spit • rob • cream • interrupt • pen • weave • orange • rescue • crush • humble • fancy • decay • polite • tribe • bleed • coin • fond • autumn • classify • omit • loyal • needle • lessen • complaint • pad • steep • skirt • curtain • calculation • laughter • solemn • grease • interfere • explode • fasten • flag • resign • postpone • patience • boast • rope • envy • airplane • rid • shield • veil • kneel • tray • explosive • brass • taxi • wax • duck • button • invent • remedy • bush • thunder • weaken • poverty • scrape • arrow • tender • cruel • soften • mouse • hay • anyhow • alike • circular • juice • shelf • bake • hatred • cautious • basket • wreck • width • confident • log • heap • suck • ladder • gap • obey • hut • axe • translation • collar • delivery • reproduce • confession • pan • prejudice • voyage • tobacco • simplicity • paste • cake • elephant • ribbon • harvest • ashamed • cave • customary • thief • damp • sew • rust • separation • waiter • pet • straw • upset • towel • refresh • essence • fur • ambitious • defendant • daylight • dip • suspicious • imaginary • ash • carriage • educator • saw • stove • rubber • rug • misery • awkward • rival • roast • deed • preference • explosion • theatrical • cultivate • collector • miserable • wrist • rabbit • accustom • tide • insult • thumb • lump • annoy • toy • heal • shallow • repetition • soup • whistle • scenery

2001-2200

apple • offense • cork • ripe • temper • sore • pinch • diamond • razor • imaginative • hook • copper • landlord • influential • rot • hollow • enclose • harden • wicked • stiffen • silk • upright • selfish • stripe • pig • inward • excellence • rake • purple • hasten • shorten • applause • ache • apology • knot • nephew • cushion • drown • nursery • pint • fierce • imitate • aloud • gaiety • robbery • tighten • perfection • scorn • whoever • trunk • wool • sailor • competitor • moonlight • deer • bean • everyday • drawer • disregard • nowadays • patriotic • tin • penny • cage • pardon • lately • offend • coarse • spoil • horizontal • sting • ditch • librarian • meantime • cough • deaf • sword • messenger • vain • castle • elastic • comb • rod • widen • sorrow • inventor • cliff • umbrella • interruption • merry • gallon • conquest • headache • tailor • bucket • scent • signature • cart • darken • sometime • applaud • underneath • hello • pretense • descent • conquer • framework • confidential • adoption • disgust • waist • momentary • receipt • pearl • ray • lazy • limb • grammatical • beast • monkey • jewel • persuasion • obedience • sock • vowel • hammer • inn • chimney • dissatisfaction • annoyance • ornament • honesty • outward • sharpen • handkerchief • greed • heavenly • thirst • niece • spill • loaf • wheat • worm • secrecy • rude • heighten • flatten • loosen • cheese • rivalry • royalty • discontent • complication • fright • indoor • flour • actress • congratulation • ounce • fry • everlasting • goat • ink • disappearance • reproduction • thicken • avoidance • spoon • strap • deceive • lengthen • revenge • correction • descendant • hesitation • spade • basin • weed • omission • old-fashioned • bicycle • breadth • photography • coward • mat • rejoice • cheat • congratulate • discomfort • enclosure • attentive • paw • overflow • dissatisfy • multiplication • whichever • tidy • bribe • mend • stocking

2201-2284

feast • nuisance • thorn • tame • inclusive • homemade • handwriting • chalk • sour • slippery • procession • ripen • jealous • jealousy • liar • homecoming • barber • whiten • berry • lighten • pigeon • hinder • bravery • baggage • noun • amongst • grammar • cultivation • companionship • rubbish • modesty • woolen • deepen • pastry • cupboard • quart • canal • notebook • deceit • parcel • brighten • moderation • punctual • hurrah • lipstick • uppermost • fatten • conqueror • hindrance • cowardice • obedient • saucer • madden • scold • weekday • rotten • disrespect • widower • deafen • donkey • businesslike • motherhood • sadden • handshake • calculator • headdress • scissors • translator • possessor • shilling • redden • motherly • whose • cultivator • whom • homework • electrician • oar • bribery • sweeten • sow • pronunciation • beak • plural