These are the words that are the most common words students find in reading, and writing, and need to learn how to spell. The first 100 words make up 50% of all written material. All 300 common words make up 65% of all written material. These words are listed, going down, according to frequency of use. Children see them over and over again in their beginning stories and they learn them using "beginning sounds" and simple phonetic clues along with context. Students should be able to recognize these words instantly for reading fluency and be able to spell them rapidly and correctly for writing fluency by the third grade.
Keep in mind that there are common suffixes for many of the words. Such as: y, ed, ly, er, ing, est, es, and s.
First 100 Common Words
the | or | will | number |
of | one | up | no |
and | had | other | way |
a | by | about | could |
to | word | out | people |
in | but | many | my |
is | not | then | than |
you | what | them | first |
that | all | these | water |
it | were | so | been |
he | we | some | call |
was | when | her | who |
for | your | would | oil |
on | can | make | now |
are | said | like | find |
as | there | him | long |
with | use | into | down |
his | an | time | day |
they | each | has | did |
I | which | look | get |
at | she | two | come |
be | do | more | made |
this | how | write | may |
have | their | go | part |
from | if | see | over |
2nd 100 Common Words
new | great | put | kind |
sound | where | and | hand |
take | help | does | picture |
only | through | another | again |
little | much | well | change |
work | before | large | off |
know | line | must | play |
place | right | big | spell |
year | too | even | air |
live | mean | such | away |
me | old | because | animal |
back | any | turn | house |
give | same | here | point |
most | tell | why | page |
very | boy | ask | letter |
after | follow | went | mother |
thing | came | men | answer |
our | want | read | found |
just | show | need | study |
name | also | land | still |
good | around | different | learn |
sentence | form | home | should |
man | three | us | America |
think | small | move | world |
say | set | try | high |
3rd 100 Common Words
every | left | until | idea |
near | don't | children | enough |
add | few | side | eat |
food | while | feet | face |
between | along | car | watch |
own | might | mile | far |
below | close | night | Indian |
country | something | walk | real |
plant | seem | white | almost |
last | next | sea | let |
school | hard | began | above |
father | open | grow | girl |
keep | example | took | sometimes |
tree | begin | river | mountain |
never | life | four | cut |
start | always | carry | young |
city | those | state | talk |
earth | both | once | soon |
eye | paper | book | list |
light | together | hear | song |
thought | got | stop | leave |
head | group | without | family |
under | often | second | body |
story | run | late | music |
saw | important | miss | color |