Word Bank of 1200 High-Frequency Writing Words

The words in this word bank are listed in the order of their frequency of use in everyday writing. Since the is the most frequently used word in our language, its number is one in the word bank. The first 25 words are used in 33% of everyday writing, the first 100 words appear in 50% of adult and student writing, and the first 1,000 words are used in 89% of everyday writing.

Core Words

The Core Words in the Rebecca Sitton program are divided by grade levels. They are the seeds from which this spelling program grows and develops. They provide a foundation for each grade level to begin spelling exploration and are a springboard for the study of hundreds of additional words.

Grade 1 word frequencies 1-30
Grade 2 word frequencies 31-130
Grade 3 word frequencies 131-265
Grade 4 word frequencies 266-400
Grade 5 word frequencies 401-600 and beyond

"No Excuses" Words

"No Excuses" Words are the words for which students are accountable to spell correctly in all of their everyday writing and are taken from the list of core words. Below are the groups of words which we hope most children will master by the end of his/her grade level. Please help your child to spell these words correctly in their everyday writing. Since this is our first year of implementation at Hastings School, we ask for your patience in terms of school-wide uniformity. Not all classes or all children will have the same number of priority words at any given time. Spelling is both a developmental and highly individualized skill so teachers attempt to meet the needs of their classes within the framework listed below.

Grade 1 words 1-21
Grade 2 words 1-36
Grade 3 words 1-60
Grade 4 words 1-100
Grade 5 words 1-150 and beyond
  1. the
  2. of
  3. and
  4. a
  5. to
  6. in
  7. is
  8. you
  9. that
  10. it
  11. he
  12. for
  13. was
  14. on
  15. are
  16. as
  17. with
  18. his
  19. they
  20. at
  21. be
  22. this
  23. from
  24. I
  25. have
  26. or
  27. by
  28. one
  29. had
  30. not
  31. but
  32. what
  33. all
  34. were
  35. when
  36. we
  37. there
  38. can
  39. an
  40. your
  41. which
  42. their
  43. said
  44. if
  45. do
  46. will
  47. each
  48. about
  49. how
  50. up
  51. out
  52. them
  53. then
  54. she
  55. many
  56. some
  57. so
  58. these
  59. would
  60. other
  61. into
  62. has
  63. more
  64. her
  65. two
  66. like
  67. him
  68. see
  69. time
  70. could
  71. no
  72. make
  73. than
  74. first
  75. been
  76. its
  77. who
  78. now
  79. people
  80. my
  81. made
  82. over
  83. did
  84. down
  85. only
  86. way
  87. find
  88. use
  89. may
  90. water
  91. long
  92. little
  93. very
  94. after
  95. words
  96. called
  97. just
  98. where
  99. most
  100. know
  101. get
  102. through
  103. back
  104. much
  105. go
  106. good
  107. new
  108. write
  109. our
  110. me
  111. man
  112. too
  113. any
  114. day
  115. same
  116. right
  117. look
  118. think
  119. also
  120. around
  121. another
  122. came
  123. come
  124. work
  125. three
  126. must
  127. because
  128. does
  129. part
  130. even
  131. place
  132. well
  133. such
  134. here
  135. take
  136. why
  137. help
  138. put
  139. different
  140. away
  141. again
  142. off
  143. went
  144. old
  145. number
  146. great
  147. tell
  148. men
  149. say
  150. small
  151. every
  152. found
  153. still
  154. between
  155. mane
  156. should
  157. home
  158. big
  159. give
  160. air
  161. line
  162. set
  163. own
  164. under
  165. read
  166. last
  167. never
  168. us
  169. left
  170. end
  171. along
  172. while
  173. might
  174. next
  175. sound
  176. below
  177. saw
  178. something
  179. thought
  180. both
  181. few
  182. those
  183. always
  184. show
  185. large
  186. often
  187. together
  188. asked
  189. house
  190. don't
  191. world
  192. going
  193. want
  194. school
  195. important
  196. until
  197. form
  198. food
  199. keep
  200. children
  201. feet
  202. land
  203. side
  204. without
  205. boy
  206. once
  207. animal
  208. life
  209. enough
  210. took
  211. four
  212. head
  213. above
  214. kind
  215. began
  216. almost
  217. live
  218. page
  219. got
  220. earth
  221. need
  222. far
  223. hand
  224. high
  225. year
  226. mother
  227. light
  228. country
  229. father
  230. let
  231. night
  232. picture
  233. being
  234. study
  235. second
  236. soon
  237. story
  238. since
  239. white
  240. ever
  241. paper
  242. hard
  243. near
  244. sentence
  245. better
  246. best
  247. across
  248. during
  249. today
  250. however
  251. sure
  252. knew
  253. it's
  254. try
  255. told
  256. young
  257. sun
  258. thing
  259. whole
  260. hear
  261. example
  262. heard
  263. several
  264. change
  265. answer
  266. room
  267. sea
  268. against
  269. top
  270. turned
  271. learn
  272. point
  273. city
  274. play
  275. toward
  276. five
  277. himself
  278. usually
  279. money
  280. seen
  281. didn't
  282. car
  283. morning
  284. I'm
  285. body
  286. upon
  287. family
  288. later
  289. turn
  290. move
  291. face
  292. door
  293. cut
  294. done
  295. group
  296. true
  297. half
  298. red
  299. fish
  300. plants
  1. living
  2. black
  3. eat
  4. short
  5. United States
  6. run
  7. book
  8. gave
  9. order
  10. open
  11. ground
  12. cold
  13. really
  14. table
  15. remember
  16. tree
  17. course
  18. front
  19. American
  20. space
  21. inside
  22. ago
  23. sad
  24. early
  25. I'll
  26. learned
  27. brought
  28. close
  29. nothing
  30. though
  31. idea
  32. before
  33. lived
  34. became
  35. add
  36. become
  37. grow
  38. draw
  39. yet
  40. less
  41. wind
  42. behind
  43. cannot
  44. letter
  45. among
  46. able
  47. dog
  48. shown
  49. mean
  50. English
  51. rest
  52. perhaps
  53. certain
  54. six
  55. feel
  56. fire
  57. ready
  58. green
  59. yes
  60. built
  61. special
  62. ran
  63. full
  64. town
  65. complete
  66. oh
  67. person
  68. hot
  69. anything
  70. hold
  71. state
  72. list
  73. stood
  74. hundred
  75. ten
  76. fast
  77. felt
  78. kept
  79. notice
  80. can't
  81. strong
  82. voice
  83. probably
  84. area
  85. horse
  86. matter
  87. stand
  88. box
  89. start
  90. that's
  91. class
  92. piece
  93. surface
  94. river
  95. common
  96. stop
  97. am
  98. talk
  99. whether
  100. fine
  101. round
  102. dark
  103. past
  104. ball
  105. girl
  106. road
  107. blue
  108. instead
  109. either
  110. held
  111. already
  112. warm
  113. gone
  114. finally
  115. summer
  116. understand
  117. moon
  118. animals
  119. mind
  120. outside
  121. power
  122. problem
  123. longer
  124. winter
  125. deep
  126. heavy
  127. carefully
  128. follow
  129. beautiful
  130. everyone
  131. leave
  132. everything
  133. game
  134. system
  135. bring
  136. watch
  137. shell
  138. dry
  139. within
  140. floor
  141. ice
  142. ship
  143. themselves
  144. begin
  145. fact
  146. third
  147. quite
  148. carry
  149. distance
  150. although
  151. sat
  152. possible
  153. heart
  154. real
  155. simple
  156. snow
  157. rain
  158. suddenly
  159. easy
  160. leaves
  161. lay
  162. size
  163. wild
  164. weather
  165. miss
  166. pattern
  167. sky
  168. walked
  169. main
  170. someone
  171. center
  172. field
  173. stay
  174. itself
  175. boat
  176. question
  177. wide
  178. least
  179. tiny
  180. hour
  181. happened
  182. foot
  183. care
  184. low
  185. else
  186. gold
  187. build
  188. glass
  189. rock
  190. tall
  191. alone
  192. bottom
  193. check
  194. reading
  195. fall
  196. poor
  197. map
  198. friend
  199. language
  200. job
  201. music
  202. buy
  203. window
  204. mark
  205. heat
  206. grew
  207. listen
  208. ask
  209. single
  210. clear
  211. energy
  212. week
  213. explain
  214. lost
  215. spring
  216. travel
  217. wrote
  218. farm
  219. circle
  220. whose
  221. correct
  222. bed
  223. measure
  224. straight
  225. base
  226. mountain
  227. caught
  228. hair
  229. bird
  230. wood
  231. color
  232. war
  233. fly
  234. yourself
  235. seem
  236. thus
  237. square
  238. moment
  239. teacher
  240. happy
  241. bright
  242. sent
  243. present
  244. plan
  245. rather
  246. length
  247. speed
  248. machine
  249. information
  250. except
  251. figure
  252. you're
  253. free
  254. fell
  255. suppose
  256. natural
  257. ocean
  258. government
  259. baby
  260. grass
  261. plane
  262. street
  263. couldn't
  264. reason
  265. difference
  266. maybe
  267. history
  268. mouth
  269. middle
  270. step
  271. child
  272. strange
  273. wish
  274. soil
  275. human
  276. trip
  277. woman
  278. eye
  279. milk
  280. choose
  281. north
  282. seven
  283. famous
  284. late
  285. pay
  286. sleep
  287. iron
  288. trouble
  289. store
  290. beside
  291. oil
  292. modern
  293. fun
  294. catch
  295. business
  296. reach
  297. lot
  298. won't
  299. case
  300. speak
  1. shape
  2. eight
  3. edge
  4. soft
  5. village
  6. object
  7. age
  8. minute
  9. wall
  10. meet
  11. record
  12. copy
  13. forest
  14. especially
  15. necessary
  16. he's
  17. unit
  18. flat
  19. direction
  20. south
  21. subject
  22. skin
  23. wasn't
  24. I've
  25. yellow
  26. party
  27. force
  28. test
  29. bad
  30. temperature
  31. pair
  32. ahead
  33. wrong
  34. practice
  35. sand
  36. tail
  37. wait
  38. difficult
  39. general
  40. cover
  41. material
  42. isn't
  43. thousand
  44. sign
  45. guess
  46. forward
  47. huge
  48. ride
  49. region
  50. nor
  51. period
  52. blood
  53. rich
  54. team
  55. corner
  56. cat
  57. amount
  58. garden
  59. led
  60. note
  61. various
  62. race
  63. bit
  64. result
  65. brother
  66. addition
  67. doesn't
  68. dead
  69. weight
  70. thin
  71. stone
  72. hit
  73. wife
  74. island
  75. we'll
  76. opposite
  77. born
  78. sense
  79. cattle
  80. million
  81. anyone
  82. rule
  83. science
  84. afraid
  85. women
  86. produce
  87. pull
  88. son
  89. meant
  90. broken
  91. interest
  92. chance
  93. thick
  94. sight
  95. pretty
  96. train
  97. fresh
  98. drive
  99. lead
  100. break
  101. sit
  102. bought
  103. radio
  104. method
  105. king
  106. similar
  107. return
  108. corn
  109. decide
  110. position
  111. bear
  112. hope
  113. song
  114. engine
  115. board
  116. control
  117. spread
  118. evening
  119. brown
  120. clean
  121. wouldn't
  122. section
  123. spent
  124. ring
  125. teeth
  126. quiet
  127. ancient
  128. stick
  129. afternoon
  130. silver
  131. nose
  132. century
  133. therefore
  134. level
  135. you'll
  136. death
  137. hole
  138. coast
  139. cross
  140. sharp
  141. fight
  142. capital
  143. fill
  144. deal
  145. busy
  146. beyond
  147. send
  148. love
  149. cool
  150. cause
  151. please
  152. meat
  153. lady
  154. west
  155. glad
  156. action
  157. pass
  158. type
  159. attention
  160. gas
  161. kitchen
  162. pick
  163. scale
  164. basic
  165. happen
  166. safe
  167. grown
  168. cost
  169. wear
  170. act
  171. hat
  172. arm
  173. believe
  174. major
  175. gray
  176. wonder
  177. include
  178. describe
  179. electric
  180. sold
  181. visit
  182. sheep
  183. I'd
  184. office
  185. row
  186. contain
  187. fit
  188. equal
  189. value
  190. yard
  191. beat
  192. inch
  193. sugar
  194. key
  195. product
  196. desert
  197. bank
  198. farther
  199. won
  200. total
  201. sell
  202. wire
  203. rose
  204. cotton
  205. spoke
  206. rope
  207. fear
  208. shore
  209. throughout
  210. compare
  211. movement
  212. exercise
  213. bread
  214. process
  215. nature
  216. apart
  217. path
  218. careful
  219. narrow
  220. mental
  221. nine
  222. useful
  223. public
  224. according
  225. steel
  226. salt
  227. speech
  228. forth
  229. nation
  230. knowledge
  231. appear
  232. ate
  233. dinner
  234. hurt
  235. spend
  236. experiment
  237. touch
  238. drop
  239. chair
  240. east
  241. separate
  242. truck
  243. sing
  244. column
  245. twice
  246. particular
  247. shop
  248. unless
  249. spot
  250. neither
  251. met
  252. wheel
  253. none
  254. hill
  255. television
  256. bill
  257. solve
  258. pressure
  259. report
  260. farmer
  261. count
  262. trade
  263. chief
  264. month
  265. clothes
  266. doctor
  267. indeed
  268. dance
  269. church
  270. original
  271. enjoy
  272. string
  273. sister
  274. familiar
  275. onto
  276. imagine
  277. blow
  278. quick
  279. law
  280. lie
  281. final
  282. rise
  283. loud
  284. fair
  285. herself
  286. slow
  287. noise
  288. statement
  289. hungry
  290. join
  291. tube
  292. rode
  293. empty
  294. twenty
  295. broke
  296. nice
  297. effect
  298. paid
  299. motion
  300. myself
  1. divide
  2. supply
  3. laid
  4. dear
  5. surprise
  6. gun
  7. entire
  8. fruit
  9. crowd
  10. band
  11. wet
  12. solid
  13. northern
  14. flower
  15. star
  16. feed
  17. wooden
  18. sort
  19. develop
  20. shoulder
  21. variety
  22. season
  23. share
  24. jump
  25. regular
  26. represent
  27. market
  28. we're
  29. flew
  30. finger
  31. expect
  32. army
  33. cabin
  34. camp
  35. danger
  36. purpose
  37. breakfast
  38. proper
  39. coat
  40. push
  41. express
  42. shot
  43. angry
  44. southern
  45. dress
  46. bag
  47. proud
  48. neck
  49. breath
  50. strength
  51. member
  52. twelve
  53. mine
  54. company
  55. current
  56. pound
  57. valley
  58. double
  59. till
  60. match
  61. average
  62. die
  63. liquid
  64. alive
  65. stream
  66. provide
  67. drink
  68. experience
  69. future
  70. tomorrow
  71. drove
  72. population
  73. finish
  74. station
  75. shook
  76. stage
  77. oxygen
  78. poem
  79. solution
  80. burn
  81. cent
  82. electricity
  83. everybody
  84. rate
  85. dust
  86. worth
  87. community
  88. captain
  89. bus
  90. protect
  91. cook
  92. raise
  93. further
  94. steam
  95. guide
  96. discover
  97. plain
  98. usual
  99. seat
  100. accept
  101. police
  102. consider
  103. dozen
  104. baseball
  105. rubber
  106. symbol
  107. support
  108. exactly
  109. industry
  110. they're
  111. beneath
  112. laugh
  113. groceries
  114. popular
  115. thank
  116. quarter
  117. climbed
  118. continue
  119. potatoes
  120. receive
  121. design
  122. president
  123. charge
  124. mistake
  125. hospital
  126. remain
  127. service
  128. increase
  129. students
  130. insects
  131. address
  132. sincerely
  133. dollars
  134. belong
  135. bottle
  136. flight
  137. forget
  138. bicycle
  139. secret
  140. soldier
  141. silent
  142. structure
  143. height
  144. observe
  145. indicate
  146. railroad
  147. knife
  148. married
  149. suggested
  150. entered
  151. magazine
  152. agree
  153. fifty
  154. escape
  155. threw
  156. planet
  157. dangerous
  158. event
  159. leader
  160. peace
  161. spelling
  162. chapter
  163. swimming
  164. opportunity
  165. immediately
  166. favorite
  167. settled
  168. telephone
  169. repeat
  170. prepare
  171. instance
  172. avenue
  173. newspaper
  174. actually
  175. employee
  176. review
  177. convince
  178. allowed
  179. nobody
  180. details
  181. muscles
  182. model
  183. climate
  184. coffee
  185. whenever
  186. serious
  187. angle
  188. feather
  189. determined
  190. dictionary
  191. ordinary
  192. extra
  193. rough
  194. library
  195. condition
  196. arrived
  197. located
  198. program
  199. pencil
  200. tongue
  201. title
  202. enemy
  203. garage
  204. lose
  205. vegetable
  206. parents
  207. style
  208. education
  209. required
  210. political
  211. daughter
  212. individual
  213. progress
  214. altogether
  215. activities
  216. article
  217. equipment
  218. discuss
  219. healthy
  220. perfect
  221. recognize
  222. frequently
  223. character
  224. personal
  225. disappear
  226. success
  227. traffic
  228. yesterday
  229. situation
  230. realize
  231. message
  232. recently
  233. account
  234. physical
  235. neighbor
  236. excited
  237. whisper
  238. available
  239. college
  240. furniture
  241. leather
  242. husband
  243. principal
  244. medicine
  245. excellent
  246. operation
  247. council
  248. author
  249. organize
  250. concern
  251. barbecue
  252. accident
  253. disease
  254. construction
  255. motor
  256. affect
  257. conversation
  258. evidence
  259. citizen
  260. environment
  261. influence
  262. cancel
  263. audience
  264. apartment
  265. worse
  266. transportation
  267. frozen
  268. waste
  269. couple
  270. function
  271. connect
  272. project
  273. pronounce
  274. offered
  275. apply
  276. improve
  277. stomach
  278. collect
  279. prevent
  280. courage
  281. occur
  282. foreign
  283. quality
  284. terrible
  285. instrument
  286. balance
  287. ability
  288. arrange
  289. rhythm
  290. avoid
  291. daily
  292. identity
  293. standard
  294. combine
  295. attached
  296. frighten
  297. social
  298. factory
  299. license
  300. recommend

Last update: 03-29-00/mgl