100 Most Common English Words (Pronunciation & Example Sentence)

Summary

In this comprehensive English lesson with Lucy, students are introduced to the top 100 most common words in the English language, which constitute the majority of spoken and written English. The lesson is divided into parts of speech, including nouns, pronouns, verbs, and more, with examples and pronunciation guidance. Lucy offers a downloadable PDF for further study and encourages engagement through her social media and website, which provide additional resources for improving vocabulary and listening skills.

Takeaways

• 📚 The English language is vast with over 170,000 words, but a native speaker typically knows between 15,000 to 20,000 words.
• 🔍 The top 100 words in English constitute 50% of the language's usage, emphasizing the importance of mastering these foundational words.
• 📝 Lucy offers a lesson focusing on the top 100 words, covering spelling, pronunciation in both weak and strong forms, and practical examples.
• 📑 A complimentary PDF is available for download, containing all the words, pronunciation guides, and examples discussed in the lesson.
• 📈 The lesson is structured by parts of speech, starting with nouns, which are essential for referring to various entities like places, people, and ideas.
• 🗣️ Pronunciation is highlighted as crucial, with examples given for common nouns, pronouns, and other parts of speech to aid in language acquisition.
• 📝 Pronouns are explained as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases, with attention given to their strong and weak forms for proper usage in sentences.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Verbs are the backbone of sentences, representing actions, feelings, or states of being, with examples provided to illustrate their use.
• 🛠️ Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping or modal verbs, are detailed for their role in forming tenses, voices, and moods in English grammar.
• 📌 Adjectives are presented as descriptors of nouns, with common examples given to show how they add detail and color to language.
• 📚 Adverbs are introduced as modifiers of adjectives, verbs, other adverbs, or entire sentences, often ending in 'ly' but with notable exceptions.
• 🔗 Conjunctions and prepositions are key to joining phrases and sentences, and showing relationships between sentence parts, with examples provided for clarity.
• 📘 Articles are the final focus, with 'a', 'an', and 'the' being the only articles in English, serving to introduce and specify nouns.

Q & A

How many words are estimated to be in the English language according to various studies mentioned in the script?

Various studies suggest that there are over 170,000 words in the English language.

On average, how many words does a native English speaker know?

A native English speaker typically knows between 15,000 and 20,000 words.

What percentage of the English language is made up by the top 100 words, as claimed in the script?

It is claimed that the top 100 words in English make up 50% of the language.

What does the script suggest as the best way to perfect the top 100 English words?

The script suggests breaking down the top 100 words into different parts of speech, learning how to spell and pronounce them in both weak and strong forms, and understanding their use in examples.

What resource is provided by Lucy to help students study the top 100 English words along with the lesson?

Lucy has created a PDF that contains all the words, their pronunciation, and examples, which students can download by signing up to her mailing list.

What is the first section of the lesson about in the script?

The first section of the lesson is about nouns, which refer to a place, person, idea, thing, quality, or activity.

How many common nouns are discussed in the script and what are some examples?

The script discusses 10 common nouns, including 'man', 'day', 'people', 'time', 'woman', 'life', 'world', 'thing', 'year', and 'child'.

What is the role of pronouns in a sentence as described in the script?

A pronoun can substitute a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence, but it can only be used if the noun or noun phrase has been referred to previously.

How many common pronouns are there to look at in the script and what are some examples?

There are 20 common pronouns discussed in the script, including 'he', 'her', 'him', 'I', 'it', 'me', 'my', 'our', 'she', 'them', 'that', 'their', 'these', 'they', 'this', 'us', 'we', 'who', 'you', and 'your'.

What is the importance of verbs in English sentences as per the script?

Verbs are essential in English sentences as they represent actions, feelings, or states of being.

What are auxiliary verbs and what is their function in English as described in the script?

Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs or modal verbs, are incredibly useful in English as they help to form certain verb tenses, voices, and moods.

How many common adjectives are there to look at in the script and what are some examples?

The script provides examples of several common adjectives, including 'all', 'any', 'different', 'even', 'first', 'just', 'last', 'white', 'many', 'more', 'new', 'one', 'some', and 'two'.

What is the general rule for adverbs in English as mentioned in the script?

The script mentions that most adverbs in English end in 'LY', but there are also common exceptions to this rule.

What are conjunctions and why are they important in English sentences according to the script?

Conjunctions are words that allow joining multiple phrases and sentences together, and they are important because without them, reading would be really boring.

What are prepositions and how do they function in a sentence as described in the script?

Prepositions are important words that show how one part of a sentence is related to another, indicating relationships such as time, place, direction, and manner.

What are the three articles in English and how are they used according to the script?

The three articles in English are 'a', 'an', and 'the', and they are used to introduce or refer to nouns in different contexts.

What additional resources does Lucy offer to help improve vocabulary and listening skills?

Lucy offers a pronunciation tool on her website, a vlogging channel with fully subtitled videos, and a website with resources for learning English.