English Words 101-250 (Frequency)

Level: A1. These words come right after the core 100. They add the everyday verbs, polite words, family words and time words that turn single words into real conversations.

By the end of this page you can…

…recognise and use these high-frequency English words, say each one aloud with the audio, and test yourself with the practice and quiz below.

How this list was made

The ranking comes from the hermitdave FrequencyWords English list (the 2018 en_50k file, word lists CC BY-SA 4.0, built from OpenSubtitles). Each word keeps its real position in that list — the number in the Rank column is the raw list rank, never invented. Because the data is built from film and TV subtitles, the raw file also contains tokeniser fragments ('s, 't, 're, 'll, 'd and bare negatives such as don, didn, wasn), repeated title abbreviations (mr, dr.) and a little strong slang. Those entries are skipped here, but the words shown keep the rank the list gave them, so you may see small gaps in the numbers. The grouping into verbs, people, time, describing and function words is ours, to make the set easier to learn than a flat A–Z list.

The words

Verbs and actions

People, family and roles

Describing words

Things and places

Time and sequence words

Linking, question and function words

Social and spoken words

Example sentences

Play each line and say it aloud. Every sentence uses words from this list.

1. Please help me.
   'Please' makes a request polite.
2. I am sorry, I was wrong.
   Apologising with two band words.
3. Thank you so much.
   'Thank' plus an intensifier.
4. Maybe we should wait.
   'Maybe' and 'should' soften advice.
5. Call me after work.
   'After' orders two events.
6. I told you before.
   Past verb 'told' and time word 'before'.
7. She made a new friend.
   'Made' is the past of 'make'.
8. Keep the money here.
   Everyday noun and verb.
9. I need to find a place.
   'Need to' plus 'find'.
10. We talk every night.
    Frequency with 'every'.
11. Do you understand the question?
    'Understand' is a key study verb.
12. Listen, this is important.
    Getting attention with 'listen'.
13. My father came home late.
    Family word plus a past verb.
14. That is a really nice house.
    'Really' before an adjective.
15. Ask another person.
    'Another' means one more.
16. I believe everything is fine.
    'Believe' with 'everything'.
17. Stay here and help.
    Two base verbs joined by 'and'.
18. Remember to give it back.
    'Remember to' plus a base verb.

Quick recap before you practise.

How to say it

English spelling hides its sounds, so copy the audio, not the letters.

• could / should / would all rhyme and the l is silent: “kood, shood, wood”.
• because is two beats: bi-KOZ, stress on the second part.
• enough ends in an f sound: “i-NUFF”.
• thought / told — ough here is a long aw (“thawt”); old rhymes with gold.

Practice

Practice

Vocabulary practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Which is the most polite way to ask?

Give it. Please give it. You give. Give now.

Check

Show answer

Please give it. — 'Please' makes a request polite.

2 Say sorry: 'I am ____.' (one word)

Check

Hint: feeling regret

Show answer

sorry — 'sorry' expresses regret.

3 'Told' is the past of…

tell talk take try

Check

Show answer

tell — 'told' is the past of 'tell'.

4 Order events: 'Call me ____ work.' (one word, = later than)

Check

Hint: later than

Show answer

after — 'after' means later than; 'before' means earlier.

5 Put the words in order.

helppleaseme

CheckReset

Show answer

please help me — 'Please' leads a polite request: Please help me.

6 Match the word to its meaning.

• maybe Match for maybe — choose — as much as neededbefore nowone more timeperhaps
• again Match for again — choose — as much as neededbefore nowone more timeperhaps
• enough Match for enough — choose — as much as neededbefore nowone more timeperhaps
• already Match for already — choose — as much as neededbefore nowone more timeperhaps

Check

Show answer

• maybe → perhaps
• again → one more time
• enough → as much as needed
• already → before now

Common adverbs from this band.

Quiz

Check yourself

Vocabulary quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered

1. 1'Please' is used to…

   A ask a question B make a request polite C show the past D join words
   Show answer

   make a request polite — 'please' softens a request.

2. 2Complete (past of 'tell'): 'I ___ you yesterday.'

   A tell B told C telling D tells
   Show answer

   told — 'told' is the past of 'tell'.

3. 3Which word means 'perhaps'?

   A maybe B money C must D much
   Show answer

   maybe — 'maybe' = perhaps.

4. 4'Before' and 'after' are words about…

   A place B time order C people D colour
   Show answer

   time order — they order events in time.

5. 5Choose the polite thanks.

   A Thank you. B Give me. C Go now. D What?
   Show answer

   Thank you. — 'Thank you' shows gratitude.

6. 6'Came' is the past of…

   A come B call C care D can
   Show answer

   come — 'came' is the past of 'come'.

7. 7Which word is a family member?

   A father B after C other D better
   Show answer

   father — 'father' is a family member.

8. 8Complete: 'We talk ___ day.'

   A every B never C maybe D again
   Show answer

   every — 'every day' means each day.

9. 9'Understand' means…

   A to get the meaning B to ask C to leave D to wait
   Show answer

   to get the meaning — 'understand' = grasp the meaning.

10. 10Which word means 'one more time'?

    A again B always C around D away
    Show answer

    again — 'again' = one more time.

11. 11'Should' is used to give…

    A a fact B advice C a name D a place
    Show answer

    advice — 'should' gives advice.

12. 12Choose the correct spelling of the polite word.

    A sory B sorry C sory D sorrie
    Show answer

    sorry — It is spelled 'sorry'.

Recap cheat-sheet

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