100 Common English Words Every Beginner Should Know

Learning English can feel overwhelming, especially for beginners. But one of the best ways to start your language journey is by mastering basic vocabulary. Having a strong foundation in the most commonly used words will allow you to communicate effectively in everyday conversations, understand basic sentences, and grow your confidence quickly. Whether you’re a student, a traveler, or simply someone eager to improve your English, this list of 100 common English words is a great place to begin.

In this blog post, I’ve compiled a list of 100 essential English words that every beginner should know. Each word is commonly used in daily life, making it easier for you to start building sentences, practicing pronunciation, and expanding your language skills.

100 Common English Words 

Here is a list of 100 common English words that every beginner should know:

1. I
2. You
3. He
4. She
5. It
6. We
7. They
8. This
9. That
10. Here
11. There
12. Yes
13. No
14. Please
15. Thank
16. Hello
17. Goodbye
18. Sorry
19. Help
20. Good
21. Bad
22. Big
23. Small
24. Hot
25. Cold
26. Open
27. Close
28. Start
29. Stop
30. Come
31. Go
32. Do
33. Make
34. Take
35. Give
36. Have
37. See
38. Look
39. Listen
40. Speak
41. Eat
42. Drink
43. Walk
44. Run
45. Sleep
46. Wake
47. Read
48. Write
49. Work
50. Play
51. Like
52. Love
53. Hate
54. Want
55. Need
56. Know
57. Think
58. Feel
59. Ask
60. Answer
61. Buy
62. Sell
63. Pay
64. Find
65. Lose
66. Live
67. Die
68. Build
69. Break
70. Meet
71. Leave
72. Call
73. Send
74. Bring
75. Buy
76. Sell
77. Teach
78. Learn
79. Drive
80. Ride
81. Fly
82. Swim
83. Sing
84. Dance
85. Laugh
86. Cry
87. Smile
88. Frown
89. Show
90. Hide
91. Begin
92. End
93. First
94. Last
95. Day
96. Night
97. Morning
98. Evening
99. Today
100. Tomorrow

This list covers essential verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and common expressions, ideal for beginners building a foundational vocabulary.

100 Common English Words with Meaning

Here are definitions for each of the 100 common English words:

1. I – Used by a speaker to refer to themselves.
2. You – Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.
3. He – Used to refer to a male person.
4. She – Used to refer to a female person.
5. It – Used to refer to a thing, animal, or concept without specifying gender.
6. We – Used to refer to the speaker and at least one other person.
7. They – Used to refer to more than one person or thing.
8. This – Refers to something close in time or space.
9. That – Refers to something further away in time or space.
10. Here – Refers to a location close to the speaker.
11. There – Refers to a location further away from the speaker.
12. Yes – Used to express agreement or confirmation.
13. No – Used to express disagreement or refusal.
14. Please – Used to make a polite request.
15. Thank – To express gratitude or appreciation.
16. Hello – A greeting or way to begin a conversation.
17. Goodbye – A word used when leaving or ending a conversation.
18. Sorry – Used to express apology or regret.
19. Help – To assist or aid someone.
20. Good – Of high quality; positive.
21. Bad – Of low quality; negative.
22. Big – Large in size.
23. Small – Little in size.
24. Hot – Having a high temperature.
25. Cold – Having a low temperature.
26. Open – Not closed; to make something accessible.
27. Close – To shut or make something inaccessible.
28. Start – To begin or commence something.
29. Stop – To end or cease something.
30. Come – To move toward or arrive at a place.
31. Go – To move away or leave a place.
32. Do – To perform an action or task.
33. Make – To create or produce something.
34. Take – To grab or accept something.
35. Give – To hand something over to someone.
36. Have – To possess or own something.
37. See – To perceive with the eyes.
38. Look – To direct your eyes at something.
39. Listen – To give attention to sounds.
40. Speak – To use your voice to talk.
41. Eat – To consume food.
42. Drink – To consume liquids.
43. Walk – To move by taking steps.
44. Run – To move quickly on foot.
45. Sleep – To rest with your eyes closed, typically at night.
46. Wake – To stop sleeping or to become aware.
47. Read – To look at and understand written words.
48. Write – To create letters or words on a surface.
49. Work – To perform a task or job.
50. Play – To engage in activities for fun or enjoyment.
51. Like – To enjoy or find something pleasing.
52. Love – A deep affection or strong liking for someone or something.
53. Hate – To intensely dislike something.
54. Want – To desire or wish for something.
55. Need – To require something because it is essential.
56. Know – To have information or understanding of something.
57. Think – To use your mind to consider or reflect on something.
58. Feel – To experience emotions or physical sensations.
59. Ask – To request information or help.
60. Answer – To respond to a question or request.
61. Buy – To purchase something in exchange for money.
62. Sell – To give something in exchange for money.
63. Pay – To give money in exchange for goods or services.
64. Find – To discover something.
65. Lose – To no longer have something.
66. Live – To exist or be alive.
67. Die – To stop living or existing.
68. Build – To create something by putting parts together.
69. Break – To damage or destroy something.
70. Meet – To come into contact with someone.
71. Leave – To go away from a place.
72. Call – To contact someone, typically by phone.
73. Send – To dispatch something to someone.
74. Bring – To carry or take something to a place.
75. Buy – To purchase something (repeat from above).
76. Sell – To give something in exchange for money (repeat from above).
77. Teach – To help someone learn something.
78. Learn – To acquire knowledge or skills.
79. Drive – To control and operate a vehicle.
80. Ride – To travel on or in a vehicle, animal, or bicycle.
81. Fly – To move through the air.
82. Swim – To move through water.
83. Sing – To produce musical sounds with your voice.
84. Dance – To move rhythmically to music.
85. Laugh – To make a sound expressing happiness or amusement.
86. Cry – To shed tears, usually due to emotion.
87. Smile – To make a facial expression that shows happiness.
88. Frown – To make a facial expression that shows displeasure.
89. Show – To display or present something.
90. Hide – To conceal or keep something out of sight.
91. Begin – To start something (synonym for start).
92. End – To finish or conclude something.
93. First – Coming before all others in time or order.
94. Last – Coming after all others in time or order.
95. Day – The period of time when the sun is up; 24 hours.
96. Night – The period of time when the sun is down; darkness.
97. Morning – The early part of the day, before noon.
98. Evening – The later part of the day, after sunset.
99. Today – The current day.
100. Tomorrow – The day after today.

These basic words are fundamental for building an understanding of everyday English communication.

100 Common English Words Used in Sentences

Here are some examples of how to use the 100 common English words in sentences:

Pronouns:

1. I – I am learning English.
2. You – You are my friend.
3. He – He is a teacher.
4. She – She likes to read.
5. It – It is a sunny day.
6. We – We are going to the park.
7. They – They are playing soccer.

Demonstratives:

1. This – This is my book.
2. That – That is your pencil.

Place words:

1. Here – Here is your coffee.
2. There – The keys are there on the table.

Politeness and responses:

1. Yes – Yes, I understand.
2. No – No, I don’t want any tea.
3. Please – Can you help me, please?
4. Thank – Thank you for your help.
5. Hello – Hello, how are you?
6. Goodbye – Goodbye, see you tomorrow.
7. Sorry – Sorry for being late.
8. Help – Can you help me with my homework?

Adjectives:

1. Good – The food is very good.
2. Bad – It’s a bad idea to skip class.
3. Big – That is a big dog.
4. Small – I have a small house.
5. Hot – The soup is hot.
6. Cold – The water is cold.

Verbs:

1. Open – Open the window, please.
2. Close – Can you close the door?
3. Start – Let’s start the meeting now.
4. Stop – Stop talking during the movie.
5. Come – Come to my house later.
6. Go – I need to go to the store.
7. Do – What do you do for fun?
8. Make – I will make dinner tonight.
9. Take – Can you take me to the airport?
10. Give – Give me your phone number.
11. Have – I have two brothers.
12. See – Did you see the news today?
13. Look – Look at that beautiful painting.
14. Listen – Please listen to the instructions.
15. Speak – I can speak three languages.
16. Eat – I eat breakfast every morning.
17. Drink – What would you like to drink?
18. Walk – Let’s walk to the park.
19. Run – I can’t run very fast.
20. Sleep – I usually sleep at 10 PM.
21. Wake – I wake up early every day.
22. Read – I love to read books.
23. Write – I will write you an email.
24. Work – I work in an office.
25. Play – The children are playing outside.
26. Like – I like ice cream.
27. Love – I love my family.
28. Hate – I hate getting up early.
29. Want – I want to learn Spanish.
30. Need – I need to buy groceries.
31. Know – Do you know the answer?
32. Think – I think we should go now.
33. Feel – I feel happy today.
34. Ask – Can I ask you a question?
35. Answer – I can’t answer that question right now.
36. Buy – I need to buy a new phone.
37. Sell – They sell clothes at that store.
38. Pay – I will pay for dinner tonight.
39. Find – I can’t find my keys.
40. Lose – Did you lose your wallet?
41. Live – I live in New York.
42. Die – Plants die without water.
43. Build – They are building a new house.
44. Break – Don’t break the glass.
45. Meet – Let’s meet at the coffee shop.
46. Leave – I have to leave for work.
47. Call – I will call you later.
48. Send – Can you send me the details?
49. Bring – Bring me the newspaper.
50. Buy – I want to buy a car (repeat).
51. Sell – She wants to sell her house (repeat).
52. Teach – She teaches English at a school.
53. Learn – I want to learn how to cook.
54. Drive – Can you drive me to the airport?
55. Ride – I love to ride my bike.
56. Fly – Birds fly in the sky.
57. Swim – I can’t swim very well.
58. Sing – She can sing beautifully.
59. Dance – We dance every Saturday night.
60. Laugh – His jokes make me laugh.
61. Cry – The movie made me cry.
62. Smile – Smile for the camera.
63. Frown – Don’t frown, everything will be fine.
64. Show – Can you show me the way?
65. Hide – Let’s hide behind the tree.

Time/Order words:

1. Begin – We will begin the meeting soon.
2. End – The concert will end at 10 PM.
3. First – You are the first person to arrive.
4. Last – This is the last time I’m doing this.

Days/Times:

1. Day – I will see you during the day.
2. Night – It’s quiet at night.
3. Morning – I like to run in the morning.
4. Evening – Let’s meet this evening.
5. Today – I have a meeting today.
6. Tomorrow – Tomorrow, I’m going on vacation.

By practicing these words in simple sentences, you can start to build familiarity and confidence in English conversation.

Conclusion

By familiarizing yourself with these 100 common English words, you’re taking the first step towards mastering the English language. Regularly practicing these words through speaking, writing, and listening will help you build fluency faster. Don’t be afraid to use these words in your conversations or while reading and writing. The more you practice, the more natural English will become for you.

Keep pushing yourself to learn more words, phrases, and grammar rules, and soon enough, you’ll find that you’re able to communicate easily in English. If you’re ready for the next step, consider exploring more advanced vocabulary lists or practicing with native speakers to further improve your skills.