The 5,507 Most Important English Words in Statistical Order
from 1.00 being the Easiest to 21.00 the Theoretically Impossible to Learn to Spell.
 

Words in bold are homophones (homonyms).

          1.00          I  a

  

1.05        in is 

1.10        you he out 

1.15        good it me old one see she ten up 

1.20        book come get go love time we car day the 

1.25        that have into today yes 

1.30        all dog hat like and 

1.35        big ice look year boy but 

1.40        air how over can did looking 

1.45        men red at home may 

  

Homophones:  I/eye/aye   in/inn  you/ewe/yew   he/hee   me/mi   one/won  see/sea/si/C   time/thyme  we/wee/oui   all/awl   boy/buoy   but/butt  air/heir/e’er   red/read   may/May 

 Heteronyms:  have (“hav” v. transitive)  As in:  I have a pencil.
have (“uv” auxiliary verb)  As in:  I should have had a pencil.
have (“haf” half of the auxiliary verb phrase “have to ____”)  As in:  I have to buy a new pencil.
                

      

1.50        her was are be going land long man my play saw toy work

1.55        if add away back call cowboy room cat new

1.60      them bad came end fat hand his mother on read this sun fun 

1.65        cars food had hot part run same school show week 

1.70        cow five give got him house little most oil put tea way night 

1.75        box bed down ago eat feet line times 

1.80        about ball gave hard ran will bell do has May milk say stop 

1.85        face from moon pay when bank books mail thing top town wood cap 

1.90        letter more nut page sat save ship so two dear fish tree age 

1.95        bee June law side stay stone game hope low pie six tell 

  

Homophones: add/ad   new/knew/gnu   read/reed/Reid   sun/son   week/weak   him/hymn   tea/tee/ti   way/weigh   night/knight   box/Bach’s  feet/feat/fete   ball/bawl   do/dew/due   May/may  male/mail   wood/would   more/Moore   so/sew/sow/sol[4]   two/too/to   dear/deer  be/bee/Bea   pie/pi 


          2.00        black class hill kiss last let must not sand sea state what with am art became boat corn drive gun hay off park post well went card pet nest 

 

2.05        best cup fishing report sing after become comes fast fire foot green head hen three 

2.10      cut lake pig as fall hall name some song without date door outside doing 

2.15        just take bedroom camp days don’t help nice river slow loved ride south 

2.20        cent tall war working asking cover father grow kill left store street telling tip walk bat gas grade nine reading sister son summer tonight dad your 

2.25        calling heat word cows farm mad north us water beside make miles rat they dark feed 

2.30        ring under words bill city gold noon note who any baby called cave every thank tree woods west 

2.35        bay sick butter care east happy lay showing stand think brown coat fox king never older talk along boys 

2.40        yard longer lunch plant pop weeks better ear hands homes map train someone years goods far 

2.45        wall belong rain hour ink lost mark move of outline playing rest sent took anyone bus cats dig poor 

  

  

Homophones: must/mussed   not/knot   sea/see/si   hay/hey   hall/haul   some/sum   days/daze   south/South   cent/sent/scent   grade/grayed/greyed   son/sun   your/you’re/yore   north/North   ring/wring   bill/Bill   west/West   sick/sic   east/East   lay/lei   boys/boy’s/boys’/buoys   rain/rein/reign   hour/our   our/are  of/have (when preceded by should, could, would or might.  See footnote on page 1)   sent/cent/scent poor/pour/pore (In some dialects) 


          2.50        an list pot bring cook football luck sleep tent why each joy rose snow win gum then mud sometime spot 

   

2.55        arm lines cake dance lover much said duck even landing money net open place trip glass ham loves pages rock bear 

2.60      dress fly playhouse bath clean rent test dogs paying seed soon 

2.65        grass race wind alive banker cooking pen story willing can’t egg for made winter eating 

2.70        mile near saying sport ask could dry ears July moved sad sir stove taken things wife large looked pan round sheep shop sky apple now 

2.75        candy hunt likes or dates hunter names rich body gate gone lamp meat paper real around deer drove fort hog late nap role seen 

2.80        adding keep oh walking yesterday bone child handed know less lived pine port told inside spell yellow blow bread march small states bag boats games 

2.85        hunting recall tank would alike doorway hate job killing kind makes pat star being cry want toys Monday spelling 

2.90        flower hats dust ill joke meal mill cool goat key light other reader rope rug something wet worked blue fine forget our seeing uptown 

2.95        table yet also dish fill lumber market parts seven singing toe blank cage count guns push rooms zoo cream four growing hole try 

  

Homophones: an/Ann/Anne  rose/rows  bear/bare/Bayer   pen/pin   can’t/cant   for/fore/four   made/maid   or/ore   gate/gait   meat/meet/mete   real/reel   deer/dear   role/roll   know/no   told/tolled bread/bred   would/wood   key/quay/cay/qui   blue/blew/bleu   our/hour—or—our/are   toe/tow   four/fore/for   hole/whole 


          3.00        hair saved afternoon helping maker railroad clock falling holding mean row balls block cakes caps harm hills jump sit spring wish given dolls 

 

3.05          airport hit myself case glad overcome played send anything because brave cart dream gives high milking stamp tan pick start below 

3.10       dime done income pack pipe size sunlight banking base danger pray somewhat drop everyone wanted world beds buy railway sent news roof doll tail 

3.15          earth cross added baseball club maps people pink takes were white barn cups grave lands peach plate sail history lives rule forgive forgot funny own pigs rice short bedtime 

3.20          nail bake foods form lakes larger leg life missing nobody recover ships supper window fished hop lot road thin die kid oven 

3.25          live ton cans inch master bird dinner handing right singer stage used wise banks bats flag mine awake bees bills cards 

3.30          wash able flowers packing talking trade drink remove reported silk bean cattle crop faster grove horn many player snowman worker ant dip doors here saves sunset thanking eggs flower team 

3.35          born deep eight landed March moving sending skin sold walls wide fur killed need price salt soil sound standing plow rings truck wine belt clear gay lard lad 

3.40          contest sunshine ahead himself string tenth cone deal farming laws tops use cold having number somebody caves gray kids schools wave 

3.45          above blowing only rubber teach clay party pool sides still washing yards bud cost full goats lots pal puts snowball brick ever fell grandmother log set making overlook tap very flat pin Sunday 

  

Homophones:  high/hi   done/dun   size/sighs  base/bass  pray/prey  world/whirled  buy/by/bye   cent/scent/sent   news/gnus  tail/tale  sail/sale  road/rowed/rode   die/dye  right/write/rite   bills/Bill’s ant/aunt  here/hear  flower/flour   team/teem   born/borne  eight/ate  March/march   fur/fir   need/knead  plow/plough  rings/wrings  use/ewes gray/grey  wave/waive  very/vary  pin/pen 

Heteronyms:   lives (rhymes with dives)/lives (rhymes with gives)  live (rhymes with dive)/live (rhymes with give)   used (rhymes with oozed)/used to (rhymes with boost to)  contest (n. KAH’n test)/contest (v. kun TEST)  use(v. rhymes with ooze)/use (n. rhymes with juice) 


3.50  dated draw ranch teacher leave lock office pies towns bark before broke ending ends gift nearly sang by crow didn’t girls giving homesick wee hide later looks shine eats wishing 

3.55   please fight girl point wire wool frog miss phone rested streets tire houses understand wing burn driver safe smart somehow sorry bars beach delay golden jar 

3.60   act rate hits order always learn person ducks farmer getting hopes ready sixteen stars teaching ape ate eye helped prove tie trick yourself apart bells fit load thanks where beat den finger harder dam tooth 

3.65   bright power trust depart change neck rail rented shoe should army found garden lap nothing sailing shipment smoke turn hours pole reach rush shore wings pup grand leaves plants 

3.70   brand crossing lasted paint zone bent country finding grain nose rivers seat space sweet than trains beans cash cents colder dislike early lord mice pans path pulling sometimes sports study trail booklet lack moonlight places remark sale vine coats hear roads bend October pleased 

3.75   snowing headed once passing posted faces strong tin daylight ground mouse plan unhappy drinking aside 

3.80   covering almost bunch true becomes clubs mouth playmate return showed anybody birds bride cheer nights pump wax wild mailed reports bags close neat pull asleep fan 

3.85   next unable chair file flow numbers tar behind great unlike whatever ants first grape hardly longest pain queen steam within ages anywhere beast like mailing jack find 

3.90   postmaster payment blood export forever grey kindly teeth battle discount horse lovely oldest ox holes sack spend spoke stamps tool trips however itself rag rainbow smile traps unless camping forest rides runs swing eyes meet 

3.95   lip letters notes rub cooked ended keeping named arms bet dart dot few keys laying lights reporting works chart handy heads helps inn notebook apples damp fear hold horns there songs hogs 

Homophones:  lock/loch/lough by/bye/buy/bi we/wee/oui please/pleas tire/tyre ate/eight eye/I/aye load/lode/lowed where/wear beat/beet dam/damn shoe/shoo turn/tern pole/poll hours/ours nose/knows sweet/suite than/then cash/cache cents/sense/scents sale/sail hear/here nights/knights wax/whacks great/grate ants/aunts pain/pane/Payne find/fined horse/hoarse eyes/ayes meet/meat/mete keys/quays/cays in/inn hold/holed there/they’re/their 

Heteronyms:   close (v. rhymes with hose)/close (adj. rhymes with dose)


4.00  half mankind brother self staying voted driven floor selling tons dead falls print soft stands removed tag living mat shout tone walked everyday

 

4.05   rained fix listed brings herself largest rang sin wheat both carry dash inches stated wells keeps lesson matter member reads replace shoes sooner ways legs means rolling storm boot coal lead pony 

4.10   votes bugs church desk covered dressing fireplace planting sets shape tables warm clocks kitten pair swim belonging mix rules sank thinking handle marks Miss 

4.15   display leading planted reward rains suit center lime score smaller stuck bottle hearing kinds overlooked press sons (any more) gets indoors mate picking putting southwest ringing sings tame starting hut 

4.20   western died grant soap young another feeds parted shell jumps main sixty tears death jumping somewhere waters across awoke lets anyway raining to cannot penny 

4.25   charge whenever cape leader roses bears copper cutting everybody sink task track upset wooden branch broken farmers filling ray these bush frank spark tells everything mixed skins trunk carts rather schoolhouse taking cast lark papers 

4.30   speed boss protest rear cares dressed fellow ripe thick catch grades outfit season trace weak airplane bless crown picked tide cuts hanging started needed roll wagon lady 

4.35   pea pounds saving beef players sum bands navy plates slip weed fire offer thankful wanting dozen hoped hose meeting puppy wake covers eaten wheel bond hens rake 

4.40   belongs twin December sidewalk teams basket rushing thinks woke won boots flock glove hike others outstanding clown easy hang happen pond restore seeds spoon step asked blind pass sisters trap no sleeps April 

4.45   quart sounds table besides dug hell lies lips pulled treat welcome workers dresser dresses event fool fork grandfather helpful jail leap morning arrow aunt dame lamps plane stick bit drying meals snowed 

Homophones:  half/have (You have to give half to me) rained/reigned/reined reads/reeds/Reid’s shoes/shoos coal/Cole meet/meat/mete keys/quays/cays in/inn hold/holed there/they’re/their lead/led pair/pear/pare mix/Mick’s marks/Marx Miss/miss anymore/any more rains/reins/reigns sons/suns died/dyed main/Maine/mane tears/tiers lets/let’s to/too/two bears/bares weak/week tide/tied needed/kneaded roll/role pea/pee sum/some bands/bans weed/we’d hose/hoes teams/teems won/one no/know jail/gaol morning/mourning aunt/ant  

Heteronyms:   lead (v. rhymes with bead)/lead (n. rhymes with bed)  tears (n. rhymes with cheers)/tears (v. rhymes with cares) 


4.50  washed between flame painted pure seventeen booked check cookies oats owl pens badly driving holder sharp such cabin opens noise seem thanked cane farms God outdoors Friday mothers 

  

4.55   anyhow fully stones hunted leaving stock trying dishes higher strange fallen felt goes grace kick November persons proved readers sixth tender tiny tribe cotton daddy fifty shall tower bull earn jars northwest opening 

4.60   payments range teachers clearing dances snake behold drawing fame printed helpless newspaper temper bathing bones sheet logs pains rugs flying smell 

4.65   fee grown relate beloved enjoy understanding heart mostly mount blanks blocks closed jolly likewise plays stream bow jacks twenty kits brain sell 

4.70   needs bound cleaning deck highway ocean parks pipes sailed crops rank spending bite bought alone buying pant shows tiger department 

4.75   points been heard wrote cases crime spoil whoever again boxes charm furs pins shot undertake acting goodness knife melt mend monkey printing races sizes skip brush uncle sheets 

4.80   content brothers children discover fingers might movies ticket lean loud seats together windmill board hung marked nails pillow pride reached watched dine lucky sleeping feeding silly stores indeed yours 

4.85   drum gloves loving turned wrong flash feast steamer hardest I’ll cleaned crossed join dandy dirt drinks lion maid 

4.90   per junk coin glow raw belonged classes dreams learned counting lift none overshoes pointed brought build building hurt locked rocks snowballs wasn’t wore birthday fact letting seal setting shade tools twice wished ones 

4.95   placed movement burning changes health tray counted fail kisses members picture refuse sounded swings began begun brass mills slowly sunny fathers I’m invite jelly renew shame straw dollar poles September shirt weekly listing  

Homophones:  check/cheque seem/seam cane/Cain God/god shall/shell earn/urn pains/panes/Payne’s heart/hart grown/groan bow/Bo/beau bow/bough sell/cell needs/kneads bite/byte alone/(a loan) been/bin heard/herd wrote/rote furs/firs might/mite lean/lien pride/pried I’ll/isle/aisle maid/made per/purr none/nun build/billed sunny/Sonny poles/polls weekly/weakly  

Heteronyms:   bow (n. rhymes with go)/bow (v. rhymes with cow)
content (v. kun TEN’t)/content (n. KAH’n tent)
refuse (v. ree f’YOOz)/refuse (n. (REF f’yooz)


5.00  reaching invited kindness wipe chicken glasses meantime police wedding evening ours pile strings untie hind lone while beg carload follow iron pocket cared eve walks wolf gallon ford schoolmate fighting stump bench delight county

  

5.05   plans posters quick remarks robe spear already hairs laugh maple meaning rod doctor sewing tires wed her wires maybe wonder 

5.10   nation hated cause knew lace notebooks least partly running those upward weeds bigger eighteen filled fixed plain prices youth fence honey rushed whole peas flew hurry hammer snows pail tents 

5.15   group powers island remain retail sample talks address crash drunk host raise wired bottom clouds cord nor passes roast sticks alarm chop peace sitting I’ve sort torn bob 

5.20   tax tune contain globe sugar fold folder he’s jokes wants feel stood returning inform lend cloud lane 

5.25   owner danced drain program aid amount basement fright spoons glance ruler share agree bushes packed thought turning watered wheels calls kittens floors loads slide 

5.30   scout drug postage import slice dew railroads hello shortly forms lawn blame blast blues harvest hollow lamb painful peaches stair starts cloth frost lined soup 

5.35   eastern improve skill dearest friend express rack silver ax breath chairs lowest record shipments arrows beating hundred sake talked worry write basketball instead lump gather opened 

5.40   chapter station boil facts tube upper barks cleared color loaded stamped wishes seals shades acted stunt windows sew tore 

5.45   rates booklets failed held nurse painter phoned travel stranger withdraw files hotel otherwise pasture wait baked drill nature noted tend weather changing dreamed everywhere uses warmed dolly stayed mind coming  

Homophones:  lone/loan hairs/hares sewing/sowing tires/tyres knew/new/gnu plain/plane fence/Fent’s whole/hole peas/pees flew/flu/flue pail/pale tents/tense raise/rays/raze cord/chord/cored peace/piece tax/tacks lane/lain aid/aide packed/pact dew/do/due lamb/lam stair/stare rack/wrack ax/axe  write/rite/right/wright facts/fax color/colour sew/sow/so/sol wait/weight weather/whether stayed/staid mind/mined  

Heteronyms:   address (n. ADD dress)/address (v. uh DRESS)
record (v. ree KOH’r-d)/record (n. REK kurd)
sake (SAY’k)/sake (SAH kay)
uses (n. YOO sis)/uses (v. YOO ziz)


5.50  oak shower worms zero snap third bitter changed greet robin thousand steps dull hook coast platform remind shut throw timber heap moreover waiting till it’s 

  

5.55   charges drag highest tasted blade enjoying sickness statement trouble demand dollars enjoyed grapes midnight sliding which gardens isn’t stories month pays arose riding 

5.60   pretty nearest baskets cable frozen proper visit huge nearer spoken stocking dare eleven sure teaspoon chance cheap grounds bases battles does trucks lame rage waited mule 

5.65   votes notice vast bid bunk narrow records younger depend family grows nicely orders windmills china darling front sales strongly comb float jumped o’clock thus middle tired 

5.70   music burned freedom mistake plenty prevent depending strip speaking united chest enter fourteen rise seventy shirts crack rabbit turns becoming stronger training wondering haven’t sadly outlined billing 

5.75   taxes trusting soda voice charming seventh feather freely skate stays beam friends marched calf farther clothing wonderful rode won’t 

5.80   climb expert faint gang gulf backward copy devote fellows keeper sign pushed treated careful creek duty grew worth film fisherman greatly speak eighty hail happens steep Easter 

5.85   subject charged cashed drift expect aim fry cherry stops teaches arch deed dirty reaches leather spit root 

5.90   carried built chicks detail simple reason uncles closer deeds draft owned repair rights bringing greater household render fruit split carpet smoking unto absent baking bottles busy fortnight 

5.95   rolled whom darkness truth lazy capture fifth proud justly skirt arithmetic odd retire candle   

Homophones: it's/its which/witch arose/(a rose) chants/chance cheap/cheep bases/basses/basis does/Duz does/doze waited/weighted sales/sails turns/terns rode/road/rowed climb/clime faint/feint sign/sine creek/creak hail/hale draft/draught rights/writes/rites/Wright's greater/grater 

Heteronyms: records (v. ree KOH’r-dz)/records (n. REK kurdz)
subject (n. SUB jekt)/subject (v. sub JEK’t)


6.00  court frame movie married plus while package waste finish title ashes hoe keen ordering reform sore roots shoot anger porch seems shells 

  

6.05   value elect former thunder chase starve froze departments numbered rip settle risk sees 

6.10   canning informing bucket melted blanket checking differ officer steal formed missed northwestern tight berry chat hearts muddy yell finest fresh trained worn deliver oxen candles horseback 

6.15   devoted contract impart shouted understood ladies manage gladly returned trim background folks nineteen windy women knowing camel nests rob sight handles lighted dim prize 

6.20   invented lightly male orange southern greatest chum native agent lively replaced kept purple temple begin stairs weave offers visited raised swell mar 

6.25   knows tickets lambs sob catching lately recovered steel flood meets spread mob upstairs inasmuch bike bother nevertheless shaped leads 

6.30   action pictures locate granted idea branches clearly company blew button following invent retain forty fought preach January 

6.35   northern compose gained offering lawns prints retreat strongest winning jaw moment pleasing beard caused chain enough highly owe sudden swift namely turkey pudding sits stole scare tests wage worm feeling (ice cream

6.40   nations hardware solo matters remaining radio tablet olive binding mountain softly useful pairs learning perhaps sharpen Tuesday else painting shake visiting edge hiding 

6.45   object active during square bolt extra coffee crazy mist powerful poem watching closing tribes rim sends answer dancing likely buildings dairy fears marry suffer holy 

  

Homophones: while/wile/awhile waste/waist hoe/ho sore/soar seems/seams sees/seas/seize missed/mist sight/cite/site prize/pries male/mail stares/stairs raised/razed knows/nose/no's steel/steal/Stihl meets/meats/metes blew/blue/bleu prints/prince owe/oh   solo/so low pairs/pears/pares mist/missed marry/merry/Mary holy/wholly/holey 

Heteronyms: leads ("LEEDZ")  -- opposite of follows.  When it is pronounced "LEDZ" as in pencil leads, the difficulty factor is higher.
object ("AHB jekt") -- that which is aimed at or desired.  When the word is pronounced ("ub JEKT") meaning to disagree, the difficulty factor is slightly higher.   


6.50  golf overcharge spears cheaper request acts couldn't filed pitch linger meanwhile slope gain horses remember worse hooks pants marble hasn't obey puff thirty ladder corner writing 

6.55   telephone labor seasons charging union glory goose rulers membership mild cities hobby pleases vain plum tale hug lessons lie

  6.60   ideal favor priced counter towel friendship hotels necks exchange knee dealing polite airplanes guess bids sway returns thereby throwing ought hunger prince hers 

6.65   location skates degree bonds natives provide checks ease joint fearful graders chickens proven repeat birth brains often seemed pending quilt past tracks twelve deeply finds rabbits says wear 

6.70   located known treatment empty kingdom boards flashlight gifts heaven kettle standpoint suits bind hid silent 

6.75   product question cement romance flight babies coach cheering refund blessing expose sized level needless pour caught flour stating whale catches fade pa good-night 

6.80   damage savage dues matches second excuse hopeful stuff touch apron latest ma shovel we'll grim tumble ugly link single speaker taste newspapers sacks