The 144 most common English verbs

These are the 144 verbs among the 500 most common English words, in the order a corpus of everyday writing says you will meet them.

Meanings are given in English on this page. In the app they appear in your own language, translated on your device.

#	Word	Type	Meaning
7	be	Verbs	to be
13	have	Verbs	to have
22	do	Verbs	to do
33	get	Verbs	To obtain; to acquire
38	can	Verbs	can, to be able to
39	will	Verbs	will (forms the future)
44	go	Verbs	To move through space
49	say	Verbs	to say
50	make	Verbs	To build, construct, produce, or originate
60	would	Verbs	would
66	use	Verbs	To employ; to apply; to utilize
67	see	Verbs	To perceive or detect someone or something with the
71	take	Verbs	To get into one's hands, possession, or control
73	want	Verbs	To wish for or desire (something)
74	think	Verbs	To ponder, to go over in one's mind
79	need	Verbs	To have an absolute requirement for
88	work	Verbs	To do a specific task by employing physical or mental
90	could	Verbs	could
100	give	Verbs	To transfer one's possession or holding of (something)
103	look	Verbs	As an intransitive verb, often with “at”
108	should	Verbs	should, ought to
110	may	Verbs	To be able to go
117	call	Verbs	To request, summon, or beckon
118	play	Verbs	To act in a manner such that one has fun
119	show	Verbs	To display, convey or exhibit
132	start	Verbs	To set in motion
133	try	Verbs	To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive
137	tell	Verbs	To determine the number, amount, or value of [something]
142	mean	Verbs	To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention
144	help	Verbs	To provide assistance to (someone or something)
147	place	Verbs	To put (someone or something) in a specific location
149	change	Verbs	To become something different
151	can't	Verbs	Cannot (negative modal auxiliary); be unable to
153	own	Verbs	To have rightful possession of
158	find	Verbs	To encounter or discover by accident; to happen upon
160	keep	Verbs	To continue in (a course or mode of action)
167	thank	Verbs	To express appreciation or gratitude toward
168	better	Verbs	To improve
170	house	Verbs	To keep within a structure or container
171	team	Verbs	To form a group, as for sports or work
172	put	Verbs	To physically place (sth or sb swh)
177	feel	Verbs	To become aware of through the skin
179	talk	Verbs	To communicate, usually by means of speech
182	become	Verbs	begin to be; turn into (often with permanent states)
183	found	Verbs	To start (an institution or organization)
184	number	Verbs	To total or count; to amount to
187	point	Verbs	To extend the index finger in the direction of
198	must	Verbs	To do as a requirement
201	didn't	Verbs	did not (negative auxiliary)
202	let	Verbs	To allow to, not to prevent
204	move	Verbs	To change place or posture
206	happen	Verbs	To occur or take place
209	might	Verbs	Used to indicate a desired past action that was not done
210	win	Verbs	To reach some destination or object
211	run	Verbs	To move forward quickly upon two feet by alternately
212	lose	Verbs	To cease to have (something) in one's possession or
213	ask	Verbs	To request (information, or an answer to a question)
216	set	Verbs	To put (something) down, to rest
222	report	Verbs	To relate details of (an event or incident)
223	bring	Verbs	To transport toward somebody/somewhere
224	book	Verbs	To reserve (something) for future use
225	believe	Verbs	To accept as true
231	support	Verbs	To help keep from falling
244	open	Verbs	To make or become accessible or clear for passage by
253	watch	Verbs	To look at, see, or view for a period of time
254	issue	Verbs	To flow out, to proceed from, to come out or from
259	leave	Verbs	To cause or allow (something) to remain as available
266	looking	Verbs	as the last part of compound adjectives: relating to or
267	hold	Verbs	To grasp or grip
268	hope	Verbs	To want (something) to happen
269	water	Verbs	To wet or supply with water; to moisten
270	read	Verbs	To look at and interpret letters or other information
273	write	Verbs	To form letters
274	seem	Verbs	To appear; to look outwardly; to be perceived as
275	hear	Verbs	To perceive sounds through the ear
276	include	Verbs	To bring into a group, class, set
279	stop	Verbs	To cease moving
282	buy	Verbs	To obtain (something) in exchange for money or goods
285	level	Verbs	To adjust so as to make as flat or perpendicular to the
292	doesn't	Verbs	Does not (negative auxiliary)
296	add	Verbs	To join or unite
300	lead	Verbs	To guide or conduct with the hand
304	send	Verbs	To make something (such as an object or message) go
305	pay	Verbs	To give money or other compensation to in exchange for
309	based	Verbs	Being derived from (usually followed by on or upon)
310	head	Verbs	To be in command of. (See also head up.)
311	form	Verbs	To assume (a certain shape or visible structure)
318	follow	Verbs	To go after; to pursue
319	kill	Verbs	To put to death; to extinguish the life of
322	line	Verbs	To place (objects) into a line
323	meet	Verbs	To come face to face with by accident; to encounter
326	hit	Verbs	To administer a blow to
327	unite	Verbs	To bring together as one
328	reason	Verbs	To deduce or come to a conclusion by being rational
332	deal	Verbs	To distribute among a number of recipients
336	mind	Verbs	To bring or recall to mind; to remember
339	fight	Verbs	To engage in combat with
346	share	Verbs	To give part of what one has to somebody else to use or
354	record	Verbs	To make a record of information
356	understand	Verbs	To know the meaning of
358	create	Verbs	To bring into existence; (sometimes in particular:)
367	test	Verbs	To challenge, to put a strain on (something)
368	remember	Verbs	To recall from one's memory
369	increase	Verbs	To become larger or greater, to greaten
370	grow	Verbs	To become larger, to increase in magnitude
383	cost	Verbs	To incur a charge of
385	release	Verbs	To let go of; to cease to hold or contain
386	receive	Verbs	To be given, sent, or paid something
391	turn	Verbs	To move about an axis through itself
392	price	Verbs	To determine the monetary value of (an item)
393	sell	Verbs	To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for
394	force	Verbs	To make someone or something do something
398	act	Verbs	To do something
403	isn't	Verbs	Contraction of is + not (negative auxiliary)
406	fire	Verbs	To set (something, often a building) on fire
407	provide	Verbs	To make a living; earn money for necessities
410	research	Verbs	To search or examine with continued care
415	begin	Verbs	To start
422	wait	Verbs	To delay movement or action until some event or time
427	present	Verbs	To bring (someone) into the presence of (a person)
433	miss	Verbs	To fail to hit, catch, grasp, etc
434	project	Verbs	To extend beyond a surface
439	offer	Verbs	To propose or express one's willingness
448	build	Verbs	To form (something) by combining materials or parts
450	york	Verbs	to bowl a yorker at a batsman
453	phone	Verbs	To call (someone) using a telephone
458	consider	Verbs	To think about seriously
459	expect	Verbs	To predict or believe that something will happen
460	claim	Verbs	To demand ownership of
462	require	Verbs	To demand, to insist upon (having)
464	eat	Verbs	To consume
465	check	Verbs	To inspect; to examine
469	pass	Verbs	To move or be moved from one place to another
470	attack	Verbs	To apply violent force to someone or something
471	fall	Verbs	To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity
472	account	Verbs	To estimate, consider (something to be as described)
473	lie	Verbs	To rest in a horizontal position on a surface
476	appear	Verbs	To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible
480	answer	Verbs	To make a reply or response to
486	won't	Verbs	will not (negative auxiliary)
493	stand	Verbs	To support oneself on the feet in an erect position
496	chance	Verbs	To try or risk
497	list	Verbs	To create or recite a list
499	rate	Verbs	To assign or be assigned a particular rank or level

All 500 A1 words are on this page, free, with no sign-up.

The rest of the list

A2A2 Beginner: 500 more wordscontinue · age · baby · road · decide
B1B1 Intermediate: 750 more wordswanna · launch · interview · tomorrow · lack
B2B2 Upper intermediate: 750 more wordsviolence · yours · solid · frame · grab

A2 to B2 are part of Oqou Pro, in the app, where you can also send any word straight into spaced review and meet it again on the day you are about to forget it.

Where this comes from

The order is measured: it comes from how often each word appears in a large corpus, counted across all the forms of a word rather than each form separately, so a verb is ranked where you really meet it. The band edges are a convention rather than a measurement. Nothing says word 501 is harder than word 500; the levels are cut where established graded reader series cut theirs.

wordfreq 3.1 (frequency order) + en.wiktionary via kaikki.org (part of speech, gender, gloss). Corpus read on 2026-09-16.

Questions

Where does the order come from?

From how often each word appears in a large corpus of everyday writing. Frequency is counted across all the forms of a word and attributed to the dictionary form, so a verb is ranked where a reader really meets it rather than being spread thinly over a dozen endings.

Why are these lists shorter than the ones with 5,000 or 10,000 words?

Because past about 2,500 a frequency rank stops meaning much. Rank 6,000 in a web corpus is not a harder word, it is a word that happens to be common in journalism. Established graded reader series top out near 2,500 headwords for the same reason.

Is every word in the list a real dictionary word?

Yes. Every headword is checked against the language's own Wiktionary entry, which is where the part of speech, the gender and the meaning come from. That check is what removes the proper nouns, single letters and corpus noise that raw frequency lists are full of.

Do I need the app?

Not for this page. The A1 list is free here and free in the app. A2 to B2 are part of Oqou Pro, and the app is also where a word can go from a list into a review queue, which is the part a page cannot do.

Has a native speaker checked these?

Not yet. The frequency order and the part of speech are mechanical, and the meanings come from a dictionary rather than being written by hand, but nothing here has been through native review. If you spot a meaning that is technically right and practically useless, we would like to hear about it.