The 500 most common Portuguese words

These are the first 500 of a graded list of 2500, in the order a corpus of everyday writing says you will actually meet them. Learning them in this order is the fastest route to understanding most of what you read.

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

#	Word	Type	Meaning
1	de	Prepositions	of (in relation to)
2	a	Determiners	the (feminine singular); to
3	o	Determiners	the
4	ser	Verbs	to be (to have the given quality)
5	que	Conjunctions	that; which, who; than
6	e	Conjunctions	and
7	um	Determiners	a, an
8	em	Prepositions	in; inside; within (contained by)
9	do	Contractions	of the, from the (de + o)
10	da	Contractions	of the, from the (de + a)
11	no	Contractions	in the, on the (em + o)
12	para	Prepositions	for
13	não	Adverbs	not; don't
14	com	Prepositions	with; against
15	se	Pronouns	third-person singular and plural reflexive pronoun
16	por	Prepositions	for (on behalf of)
17	ter	Verbs	to own; to possess; to have; to have got
18	seu	Determiners	your; his, her, their
19	na	Contractions	in the, on the (em + a)
20	os	Determiners	the (masculine plural)
21	eu	Pronouns	I (first-person singular personal pronoun)
22	estar	Verbs	to be (indicates location in space)
23	como	Prepositions	as (in the role of)
24	as	Determiners	the (feminine plural)
25	mais	Adverbs	more; most
26	fazer	Verbs	to create; to produce
27	ir	Verbs	to go (to move to a destination)
28	meu	Determiners	my
29	mas	Conjunctions	but
30	poder	Verbs	to be able to; can (to have the ability to)
31	pelo	Contractions	by the, through the (por + o)
32	me	Pronouns	first-person singular objective direct personal
33	muito	Determiners	much; many; a lot of; lots of
34	você	Pronouns	second-person singular personal pronoun
35	esse	Determiners	that (near you)
36	ver	Verbs	to see; to observe (to perceive with one’s eyes)
37	bem	Adverbs	well; accurately; competently
38	ou	Conjunctions	or
39	à	Contractions	to the (a + a)
40	ele	Pronouns	third-person masculine singular nominative personal
41	este	Determiners	this (indicates something or someone nearby)
42	o ano	Nouns	year
43	saber	Verbs	to be aware, to know
44	outro	Determiners	other (not the one previously referred to)
45	o dia	Nouns	period between sunrise and sunset
46	dizer	Verbs	to speak; to pronounce; to utter; to say
47	isso	Pronouns	that
48	te	Pronouns	you (singular), thee
49	já	Adverbs	already (indicating that something has happened before)
50	querer	Verbs	to want; to wish; to desire
51	mesmo	Conjunctions	though; although (despite the fact that); despite being
52	também	Adverbs	too; also (in addition; as well)
53	dar	Verbs	to transfer one’s possession of something to someone
54	quando	Conjunctions	when (at such time)
55	a pessoa	Nouns	person (an individual being, especially a human)
56	todos	Pronouns	everyone (all people)
57	ela	Pronouns	third-person feminine singular nominative pronoun she
58	ficar	Verbs	to become; to get; to end up
59	só	Adverbs	only
60	haver	Verbs	there be; exist
61	sobre	Prepositions	on; atop; on top of (located on the top surface of)
62	nosso	Determiners	our
63	bom	Adjectives	desirable, positive, advantageous
64	até	Prepositions	until (up to the time of something happening)
65	tudo	Pronouns	everything (all the things)
66	aqui	Adverbs	here (in this place)
67	ainda	Adverbs	still, yet (up to a time)
68	novo	Adjectives	recently made or created
69	algum	Pronouns	some, any
70	a coisa	Nouns	thing (a physical object, entity, or situation)
71	partir	Verbs	to split
72	todo	Determiners	every; all (all of a group)
73	quem	Pronouns	who; whom (which person?)
74	sem	Prepositions	-less
75	dever	Verbs	should
76	dois	Numbers	two (cardinal number 2)
77	agora	Conjunctions	on the other hand; whereas
78	entre	Prepositions	among
79	primeiro	Adverbs	first (before all others)
80	falar	Verbs	to speak; to talk (to say words out loud)
81	achar	Verbs	to find
82	o tempo	Nouns	time (the progression from the present into the future)
83	depois	Adverbs	later (afterwards in time)
84	assim	Adverbs	this way; like this (in this manner)
85	grande	Adjectives	large; great; big (of great size or extent)
86	a vida	Nouns	state of being alive
87	onde	Adverbs	where; wherever
88	o mundo	Nouns	world (the Universe)
89	deixar	Verbs	to leave; to exit (to go out of or away from a place)
90	a casa	Nouns	structure serving as an abode of human beings
91	eles	Pronouns	masculine third-person plural nominative personal
92	porque	Conjunctions	because
93	passar	Verbs	to pass; to pass by (to move past)
94	nada	Pronouns	nothing (not any thing; no thing)
95	vir	Verbs	to come (to move towards the speaker or the agent)
96	qual	Determiners	which
97	segundo	Prepositions	according to (based on what is stated by)
98	chegar	Verbs	to arrive (at)
99	o estado	Nouns	state (subdivision of a nation)
100	usar	Verbs	to use; to utilise; to employ; to make use of
101	sempre	Adverbs	always (at all times)
102	começar	Verbs	to start; to begin; to commence
103	a cidade	Nouns	city, town
104	a vez	Nouns	time; occasion
105	apenas	Adverbs	only; just; merely (no more than)
106	nunca	Adverbs	never (at no time; not ever)
107	mim	Pronouns	first-person singular prepositional pronoun
108	levar	Verbs	to take (to move something to a destination)
109	aquele	Determiners	that (far from the speaker and listener)
110	maior	Adverbs	very, quite
111	o trabalho	Nouns	job (economic role for which a person is paid)
112	conhecer	Verbs	to know (be acquainted or familiar with)
113	hoje	Adverbs	today (in the current day)
114	pensar	Verbs	to think (communicate to oneself in one’s mind)
115	tão	Adverbs	so (to a great extent)
116	a hora	Nouns	hour (period of sixty minutes)
117	então	Conjunctions	thus; therefore (as a result)
118	nem	Conjunctions	nor; and not (introduces a further negative statement)
119	pra	Prepositions	syncopic form of para
120	a mulher	Nouns	woman (adult female human)
121	a forma	Nouns	form; shape (the visible structure of a thing)
122	o deus	Nouns	god; deity
123	sair	Verbs	to exit
124	acontecer	Verbs	to happen; to occur; to take place
125	conseguir	Verbs	to get, obtain
126	quer	Conjunctions	whether … or
127	preciso	Adjectives	precise
128	o nome	Nouns	name
129	o amigo	Nouns	friend (person whose company one enjoys)
130	a foto	Nouns	photo; photograph
131	sentir	Verbs	to sense
132	nós	Pronouns	first-person plural nominative personal pronoun: we
133	caso	Conjunctions	if (introduces a condition)
134	o grupo	Nouns	group
135	encontrar	Verbs	to meet
136	durante	Prepositions	during (for all of a given time interval)
137	parecer	Verbs	to seem
138	qualquer	Determiners	any; whatever (no matter what kind, which or who)
139	o país	Nouns	country; nation (a sovereign polity)
140	esperar	Verbs	to wait (for); to await
141	seguir	Verbs	to follow (to go or come after in physical space)
142	pouco	Determiners	little; few (not many)
143	sim	Adverbs	indeed
144	cada	Pronouns	each, every
145	lá	Adverbs	there
146	rir	Verbs	to laugh
147	público	Adjectives	public (pertaining to the affairs of all people)
148	menos	Pronouns	fewer (a smaller number of)
149	o homem	Nouns	male (human of masculine gender)
150	a história	Nouns	history
151	acabar	Verbs	to finish (to be over, completed)
152	morrer	Verbs	to die (to stop living)
153	direito	Adjectives	right (toward the right side; right-hand)
154	alguém	Pronouns	somebody; someone (some person)
155	antes	Adverbs	before (at an earlier time)
156	a mãe	Nouns	mother (female who gives birth to or parents a child)
157	c	Pronouns	abbreviation of cê (“you”)
158	desde	Prepositions	since
159	a tinha	Nouns	ringworm
160	tornar	Verbs	to make (to cause to be)
161	tipo	Particles	like; comparable to; similar to
162	contra	Prepositions	against
163	após	Prepositions	after (later in time)
164	último	Adjectives	final; last
165	o problema	Nouns	problem
166	meio	Adverbs	a little bit, somewhat
167	a noite	Nouns	night (period between sunset and sunrise)
168	pedir	Verbs	to ask for
169	tanto	Determiners	so much / so many (a large or excessive amount)
170	o jogo	Nouns	play
171	o olhar	Nouns	gaze; stare; look
172	três	Numbers	three (cardinal number 3)
173	gostar	Verbs	to like
174	tentar	Verbs	to try, go for, attempt
175	a cara	Nouns	face
176	o momento	Nouns	moment (very brief period of time)
177	o lugar	Nouns	place (a location or position)
178	voltar	Verbs	to return; to come back
179	além	Adverbs	there, over there
180	ler	Verbs	to read (to look at and interpret written information)
181	vezes	Prepositions	times (multiplied by)
182	a semana	Nouns	week (period of seven days)
183	tu	Pronouns	second-person singular prepositional pronoun
184	o lado	Nouns	side
185	receber	Verbs	to get; to receive
186	a conta	Nouns	operation, calculation
187	nacional	Adjectives	national
188	criar	Verbs	to create, to put into existence
189	próprio	Determiners	itself, themselves (used for emphasis)
190	escrever	Verbs	to write (to form letters, etc.)
191	quanto	Determiners	how much; how many (what number or quantity of)
192	a família	Nouns	family
193	existir	Verbs	to exist (to be)
194	ouvir	Verbs	to hear
195	perder	Verbs	to lose (an object, a job, interest etc.)
196	entrar	Verbs	to enter; to go into
197	continuar	Verbs	to continue; to go on (with) (to not stop)
198	o mês	Nouns	month
199	viver	Verbs	to live; to have life
200	social	Adjectives	social (relating to society)
201	certo	Determiners	certain (determined but unspecified)
202	a verdade	Nouns	truth (conformity to fact or reality)
203	enquanto	Prepositions	as a (in the role of; being)
204	ninguém	Pronouns	no one; nobody (not one person)
205	vocês	Pronouns	you (second-person plural personal pronoun)
206	a área	Nouns	area; region; place (a geographical location)
207	a música	Nouns	music (melodic and rhythmic sounds made as art)
208	acreditar	Verbs	to believe (to accept that someone is telling the truth)
209	o presidente	Nouns	president (head of state of a republic)
210	vamos	Verbs	forms the analytic first-person plural imperative; let's
211	o ponto	Nouns	point, a specific spot, location, or place
212	colocar	Verbs	to place; to put
213	trabalhar	Verbs	to work (to do a specific task)
214	a volta	Nouns	return (act of returning)
215	o vídeo	Nouns	video
216	o local	Nouns	premises, rooms
217	o fim	Nouns	end, conclusion, closure
218	aí	Adverbs	there (close to the second person (you))
219	abrir	Verbs	to open
220	ganhar	Verbs	to win (to achieve victory in a game, a war, etc)
221	final	Adjectives	final, ultimate, last
222	entender	Verbs	to understand, to grasp, to comprehend
223	mal	Conjunctions	have/had just; have/had barely
224	o projeto	Nouns	project (planned endeavor)
225	a criança	Nouns	child (young person)
226	o número	Nouns	number (quantity)
227	a escola	Nouns	school (institution dedicated to teaching and learning)
228	lembrar	Verbs	to remember
229	o filho	Nouns	son (male offspring)
230	ajudar	Verbs	to help, aid; to assist
231	tomar	Verbs	to take
232	o sistema	Nouns	system
233	nenhum	Determiners	no, none
234	gente	Pronouns	we
235	importante	Adjectives	important (having relevant and crucial value)
236	a água	Nouns	water (H₂O)
237	algo	Pronouns	something (unspecified object)
238	mudar	Verbs	to change
239	o acordo	Nouns	agreement
240	governar	Verbs	to govern
241	a informação	Nouns	information
242	único	Adjectives	unique
243	diferente	Adjectives	different (not the same, unequal)
244	apresentar	Verbs	to introduce
245	o filme	Nouns	film; movie; motion picture
246	a região	Nouns	region, district
247	o pai	Nouns	father (male who sires a child)
248	realizar	Verbs	to realise
249	através	Adverbs	through, across (from one side to the other)
250	quase	Adverbs	almost (very close to)
251	comprar	Verbs	to buy
252	a empresa	Nouns	company; business
253	o programa	Nouns	computer instructions
254	o irmão	Nouns	brother (male sibling)
255	dentro	Adverbs	inside (within or into something’s interior)
256	fora	Prepositions	except (with the exception of)
257	teu	Determiners	your (singular)
258	próximo	Adverbs	near, close
259	alto	Adverbs	loud; loudly
260	a lei	Nouns	law
261	comer	Verbs	to consume meals
262	o vão	Nouns	a gap
263	a morte	Nouns	death (cessation of life)
264	pois	Conjunctions	because; for (by or for the cause that)
265	perguntar	Verbs	to ask (request an answer)
266	geral	Pronouns	everyone
267	tirar	Verbs	to take, take out, take away
268	parar	Verbs	to stop (to no longer move)
269	manter	Verbs	to keep, maintain
270	o janeiro	Nouns	January
271	a relação	Nouns	relation, connection, association
272	mil	Adjectives	one thousand; a thousand; 1000
273	a terra	Nouns	land; region; territory (area associated with something)
274	mostrar	Verbs	to show
275	a rede	Nouns	net (mesh behind the goal frame)
276	considerar	Verbs	to consider
277	santo	Adjectives	dedicated to a religious purpose or a god; religious
278	principal	Adjectives	main; principal (most important)
279	matar	Verbs	to kill (to cause to die)
280	o dinheiro	Nouns	money (means of exchange and measure of value)
281	o amor	Nouns	love
282	in	Prepositions	found in the given reference
283	a força	Nouns	force; strength
284	a palavra	Nouns	unit of language
285	a frente	Nouns	front (facing side)
286	contar	Verbs	to tell (to convey given information)
287	o senhor	Nouns	a man (an adult male human)
288	a mão	Nouns	hand
289	tarde	Adverbs	late (near the end of a period of time)
290	o centro	Nouns	centre (middle of anything)
291	português	Adjectives	Portuguese (of or relating to the region of Portugal)
292	tratar	Verbs	to treat
293	amar	Verbs	to love, to have great affection for
294	escolher	Verbs	to choose
295	o serviço	Nouns	service
296	precisar	Verbs	to need
297	a guerra	Nouns	war (organised, large-scale armed conflict)
298	o exemplo	Nouns	example (all senses)
299	claro	Adverbs	clearly (without ambiguity)
300	a equipe	Nouns	team
301	o sul	Nouns	south (cardinal point)
302	melhorar	Verbs	to improve, to ameliorate, to better
303	o evento	Nouns	event; occurrence (something that happens)
304	junto	Adverbs	together (at the same time, in the same place)
305	a política	Nouns	politics
306	humano	Adjectives	human (of or belonging to the species Homo sapiens)
307	o americano	Nouns	American (native of the Americas)
308	incluir	Verbs	to include
309	o processo	Nouns	process (series of events to produce a result)
310	real	Adjectives	true, real
311	pagar	Verbs	to give [someone] money in exchange for a good or
312	o professor	Nouns	teacher (a person who teaches professionally)
313	a série	Nouns	series
314	longo	Adjectives	long
315	brasileira	Adjectives	feminine singular of brasileiro
316	embora	Conjunctions	although
317	o corpo	Nouns	body
318	a causa	Nouns	cause, reason
319	lançar	Verbs	to launch
320	logo	Conjunctions	thus, therefore (for this reason)
321	elas	Pronouns	they
322	sob	Prepositions	under
323	a rua	Nouns	street; road (paved path)
324	jovem	Adjectives	young, youthful
325	lhe	Pronouns	equivalent to a third- or second-person possessive
326	publicar	Verbs	to publish
327	lutar	Verbs	to fight (participate in a conflict)
328	a segurança	Nouns	security; safety (condition of not being threatened)
329	descobrir	Verbs	to discover (to find something for the first time)
330	vários	Determiners	masculine plural of vário
331	jogar	Verbs	to play (to participate in a sport or game)
332	internacional	Adjectives	international
333	livrar	Verbs	to save
334	a população	Nouns	population (all senses)
335	feito	Adverbs	like; just alike; similarly to
336	a falta	Nouns	lack
337	favor	Adverbs	please (seen on warnings and the like)
338	aparecer	Verbs	to appear
339	o uso	Nouns	use
340	especial	Adjectives	special
341	o ex	Nouns	ex (an ex-husband, ex-wife or ex-partner)
342	possível	Adjectives	possible
343	pegar	Verbs	to grab, hold
344	o menino	Nouns	boy (a young male)
345	a feira	Nouns	market
346	feliz	Adjectives	happy
347	a cabeça	Nouns	head (part of the body)
348	a polícia	Nouns	police
349	a ação	Nouns	action
350	a imagem	Nouns	image; picture
351	a universidade	Nouns	university
352	quatro	Numbers	four
353	isto	Pronouns	this (the thing here)
354	milhões	Adverbs	a lot (to a great degree)
355	permitir	Verbs	to permit, to allow, to let
356	o campo	Nouns	country; countryside
357	o pessoal	Nouns	staff, personnel
358	forte	Adjectives	capable of producing great force; strong; forceful
359	pequeno	Adjectives	small
360	a obra	Nouns	construction (process of constructing, building)
361	controlar	Verbs	to control (to determine the behavior of)
362	mandar	Verbs	to order, command
363	a maneira	Nouns	manner; way (particular method of doing something)
364	o olho	Nouns	eye
365	o povo	Nouns	people
366	unido	Adjectives	united
367	a ajuda	Nouns	help, assistance, aid
368	medo	Adjectives	Median
369	o oficial	Nouns	officer, official
370	cerca	Adverbs	only used in cerca de
371	difícil	Adjectives	difficult, hard, unlikely
372	o plano	Nouns	plane (level or flat surface)
373	realmente	Adverbs	truly, really, actually
374	várias	Adjectives	feminine plural of vário
375	o membro	Nouns	member (one who officially belongs to a group)
376	o desenvolvimento	Nouns	development (process of developing)
377	a questão	Nouns	question (phrase asking for information)
378	trazer	Verbs	bring (to transport toward somebody/somewhere)
379	a ideia	Nouns	idea (that which comes to mind)
380	andar	Verbs	to walk (to move on one’s feet)
381	valer	Verbs	to be worth, valid or acceptable
382	o início	Nouns	beginning (initial portion of some extended thing)
383	cinco	Numbers	five
384	tal	Determiners	such
385	o minuto	Nouns	minute (60 seconds)
386	esquecer	Verbs	to forget
387	diverso	Adjectives	diverse
388	cair	Verbs	to fall; to fall down; to drop
389	acessar	Verbs	to access (to gain or obtain access to)
390	militar	Verbs	to militate
391	a base	Nouns	basis
392	o carro	Nouns	cart (vehicle drawn or pushed by a person or animal)
393	o fato	Nouns	a set of clothing traditionally worn together
394	a atenção	Nouns	attention
395	possuir	Verbs	to possess; to have; to own
396	procurar	Verbs	to search; to seek; to look for
397	o gosto	Nouns	taste (one of the five senses)
398	enviar	Verbs	to send
399	o norte	Nouns	north (compass point)
400	participar	Verbs	to take part, to participate
401	o time	Nouns	a team
402	legal	Adjectives	cool, nice, good
403	resultar	Verbs	to result
404	presente	Adjectives	present (pertaining to the curent time)
405	decidir	Verbs	to decide
406	o papel	Nouns	paper
407	apesar	Adverbs	despite, notwithstanding
408	interessar	Verbs	to be interested in; to have an interest for
409	significar	Verbs	to mean (to have a particular meaning)
410	visitar	Verbs	to visit
411	federal	Adjectives	federal, federative
412	perceber	Verbs	to understand
413	ligar	Verbs	to link; to connect
414	a manhã	Nouns	morning
415	a fala	Nouns	speech (the ability to speak)
416	a internet	Nouns	alternative letter-case form of Internet
417	passado	Adjectives	last
418	aprender	Verbs	to learn, to acquire knowledge
419	vivo	Adjectives	alive (having life; not dead)
420	o espaço	Nouns	interval of time
421	o valor	Nouns	value
422	a língua	Nouns	tongue
423	a situação	Nouns	situation (one's status with regard to circumstances)
424	demais	Pronouns	the rest (of them), others
425	a linha	Nouns	line (a string, a thread)
426	o movimento	Nouns	movement (physical motion)
427	objetivo	Adjectives	objective
428	o branco	Nouns	argent
429	o nível	Nouns	level
430	a sociedade	Nouns	society (group of people sharing culture)
431	livre	Adjectives	free
432	ensinar	Verbs	to teach (to pass on knowledge to)
433	ocorrer	Verbs	to occur, happen
434	seguinte	Adjectives	next (following in a sequence)
435	o chamado	Nouns	calling
436	porém	Conjunctions	but; however
437	a prova	Nouns	examination; test
438	a festa	Nouns	party
439	a cultura	Nouns	arts
440	terminar	Verbs	to finish; to complete (to reach the end of an activity)
441	sério	Adverbs	in a serious manner
442	o coração	Nouns	heart (organ of the body)
443	antigo	Adjectives	ancient (related to ancient times)
444	a produção	Nouns	production
445	o futebol	Nouns	football, soccer
446	o médico	Nouns	consulting room, clinic
447	fácil	Adjectives	easy (requiring little skill or effort)
448	a mensagem	Nouns	message (concept or information conveyed)
449	o estudo	Nouns	study (mental effort to acquire knowledge or learning)
450	listar	Verbs	to list (to create or recite a list)
451	atrás	Adverbs	behind (at the back)
452	saúde	Interjections	cheers (toast when drinking)
453	a paz	Nouns	peace
454	o artigo	Nouns	article (story, report, or opinion piece)
455	aceitar	Verbs	to accept
456	vender	Verbs	to sell
457	afirmar	Verbs	to state; to declare; to affirm (to make a declaration)
458	a pena	Nouns	feather
459	a maioria	Nouns	majority (more than half)
460	o entanto	Nouns	only used in no entanto
461	talvez	Adverbs	perhaps; maybe (indicates possibility or doubt)
462	envolver	Verbs	to involve (envelop completely)
463	inglês	Adjectives	English
464	o assunto	Nouns	subject, topic, theme
465	político	Adjectives	political
466	o negócio	Nouns	affair (that which is done or is to be done)
467	dormir	Verbs	to sleep
468	o caminho	Nouns	path
469	a organização	Nouns	organization; order (the condition of being organized)
470	servir	Verbs	to serve (to work as a servant for someone)
471	o futuro	Nouns	future (the time ahead)
472	o baixo	Nouns	bass (instrument that plays in the bass range)
473	responder	Verbs	to answer
474	comum	Adjectives	common
475	explicar	Verbs	to explain
476	o outubro	Nouns	October (month)
477	o texto	Nouns	writing
478	a ordem	Nouns	order (arrangement, disposition)
479	oferecer	Verbs	to offer, bid, tender
480	lindo	Adjectives	beautiful; gorgeous
481	si	Pronouns	oneself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
482	a educação	Nouns	education
483	o filhos	Nouns	children
484	o março	Nouns	March
485	uns	Adverbs	about, some (indicating an approximate amount)
486	obrigar	Verbs	to oblige; to force; to compel
487	o técnico	Nouns	specialist
488	sofrer	Verbs	to endure hardship physically and/or emotionally
489	a página	Nouns	page (piece of paper)
490	o período	Nouns	period (geochronologic unit of millions years)
491	a decisão	Nouns	decision
492	o quarto	Nouns	quarter; fourth (one of four parts of a whole)
493	a filha	Nouns	daughter
494	o porto	Nouns	port
495	bater	Verbs	to beat; to beat up (to attack someone violently)
496	o junho	Nouns	June
497	p	Prepositions	para
498	mentir	Verbs	to lie
499	a arte	Nouns	art
500	a certeza	Nouns	certainty (state of being certain)

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

The rest of the list

A2A2 Beginner: 500 more wordsimportar · mundial · fechar · voz · tecnologia
B1B1 Intermediate: 750 more wordsmáximo · avisar · cedo · pobre · governador
B2B2 Upper intermediate: 750 more wordspresidência · senado · cadeira · conexão · desempenho

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.