1. The GSL: The 2000 Most useful words in the English language.
The General Service List (GSL) (West. 1953) is a set of 2,000 words selected to be of the
greatest "general service" to learners of English. They are not the most common 2,000
words, though frequency was one of the factors taken into account in making the
selection. Each of the 2,000 words is a headword representing a word family that is only
loosely defined in West. Frequency numbers are given, derived from Thorndike and
Lorge (1944). Frequency data is also given for the various meanings of words. This list
has had a wide influence for many years, serving as the basis for graded readers as well
as other material. Texts based on the GSL are still on sale, but the list itself is out of print.
A fuller discussion of the GSL, and word lists in general, can be found in Nation (1990,
pp 21-24) and Carter and McCarthy (1988, Ch. 1)
The list given here was created by John Bauman and Brent Culligan in early 1995. We
wanted a version of the GSL ranked in frequency order. In order to address the above
problems, we adapted two authorities. To determine which words to include as forms
related to a headword, we used the standard set out in Bauer and Nation (1995). This
article uses various criteria to group derived forms into word families. Related words are
ranked into levels. Words related by levels 1 to 4 are grouped under a headword on this
list, and the frequency numbers are added. To determine the frequency of a words, we
used the frequency numbers from the Brown Corpus (Frances and Kucera, 1982). Using
these criteria, the GSL ends up as 2284 words.
On the "next page" is the list of 2,284 words. It is in frequency order, with one word per
line. Each line contains the following: rank number-space-frequency number-space-word
Note:
The frequency number represents the number of occurrences of that word and its
related forms in the 1,000,000 words of the Brown corpus.
2. 1 69975 the 44 2099 out 87 1021 look
2 39175 be 45 2035 other 88 1018 before
3 36432 of 46 1986 so 89 1018 great
4 28872 and 47 1965 what 90 1017 back
5 26800 a 48 1940 time 91 987 through
6 26190 to 49 1895 up 92 957 long
7 21338 in 50 1849 go 93 949 where
8 20033 he 51 1816 about 94 937 much
9 12458 have 52 1794 than 95 915 should
10 11247 it 53 1790 into 96 906 well
11 10790 that 54 1782 could 97 905 people
12 9495 for 55 1773 state 98 903 down
13 8555 they 56 1751 only 99 895 own
14 8516 I 57 1698 new 100 889 just
15 7289 with 58 1673 year 101 883 because
16 7254 as 59 1618 some 102 879 good
17 6976 not 60 1586 take 103 878 each
18 6742 on 61 1577 come 104 864 those
19 6164 she 62 1575 these 105 853 feel
20 5377 at 63 1531 know 106 853 seem
21 5307 by 64 1520 see 107 849 how
22 5146 this 65 1512 use 108 847 high
23 4931 we 66 1488 get 109 835 too
24 4695 you 67 1430 like 110 835 place
25 4389 do 68 1377 then 111 833 little
26 4383 but 69 1361 first 112 832 world
27 4371 from 70 1348 any 113 797 very
28 4204 or 71 1315 work 114 792 still
29 3560 which 72 1314 now 115 789 nation
30 3480 one 73 1307 may 116 784 hand
31 3062 would 74 1303 such 117 780 old
32 3002 all 75 1270 give 118 774 life
33 2903 will 76 1239 over 119 771 tell
34 2851 there 77 1225 think 120 768 write
35 2793 say 78 1203 most 121 768 become
36 2678 who 79 1179 even 122 761 here
37 2378 make 80 1086 find 123 755 show
38 2333 when 81 1077 day 124 745 house
39 2218 can 82 1070 also 125 731 both
40 2203 more 83 1070 after 126 730 between
41 2199 if 84 1036 way 127 723 need
42 2149 no 85 1030 many 128 719 mean
43 2132 man 86 1022 must 129 711 call
3. 130 710 develop 176 564 head 222 487 try
131 707 under 177 563 consider 223 486 provide
132 705 last 178 560 word 224 484 continue
133 704 right 179 560 program 225 482 name
134 703 move 180 560 problem 226 481 certain
135 702 thing 181 552 however 227 480 power
136 700 general 182 552 lead 228 479 pay
137 697 school 183 548 system 229 473 result
138 697 never 184 546 set 230 473 question
139 690 same 185 539 order 231 471 study
140 690 another 186 539 eye 232 468 woman
141 681 begin 187 538 plan 233 464 member
142 680 while 188 534 run 234 463 until
143 678 number 189 534 keep 235 461 far
144 672 part 190 534 face 236 460 night
145 668 turn 191 534 fact 237 458 always
146 664 real 192 534 group 238 458 service
147 662 leave 193 533 play 239 458 away
148 660 might 194 531 stand 240 457 report
149 654 want 195 529 increase 241 454 something
150 645 point 196 529 early 242 453 company
151 639 form 197 528 course 243 452 week
152 639 off 198 527 change 244 451 church
153 638 child 199 523 help 245 451 toward
154 634 few 200 522 line 246 451 start
155 632 small 201 521 city 247 449 social
156 629 since 202 513 put 248 445 room
157 627 against 203 511 close 249 443 figure
158 614 ask 204 506 case 250 441 nature
159 611 late 205 504 force 251 440 though
160 611 home 206 501 meet 252 438 young
161 605 interest 207 501 once 253 437 less
162 605 large 208 501 water 254 434 enough
163 601 person 209 498 upon 255 433 almost
164 600 end 210 496 war 256 432 read
165 596 open 211 496 build 257 426 include
166 590 public 212 496 hear 258 424 president
167 589 follow 213 496 light 259 423 nothing
168 588 during 214 495 unite 260 419 yet
169 584 present 215 493 live 261 418 better
170 583 without 216 492 every 262 417 big
171 580 again 217 491 country 263 413 boy
172 577 hold 218 490 bring 264 412 cost
173 568 govern 219 490 center 265 412 business
174 567 around 220 489 let 266 411 value
175 565 possible 221 488 side 267 409 second
4. 268 407 why 314 348 concern 360 311 thus
269 406 clear 315 348 best 361 309 moment
270 405 expect 316 348 door 362 308 spirit
271 405 family 317 346 hope 363 308 train
272 401 complete 318 345 example 364 308 college
273 401 act 319 345 inform 365 307 religion
274 401 sense 320 344 body 366 307 perhaps
275 400 mind 321 344 ever 367 306 music
276 399 experience 322 343 least 368 306 grow
277 396 art 323 343 probable 369 305 free
278 395 next 324 343 understand 370 304 cause
279 395 near 325 342 reach 371 302 serve
280 394 direct 326 340 effect 372 302 age
281 393 car 327 339 different 373 302 book
282 393 law 328 337 idea 374 302 board
283 387 industry 329 337 whole 375 302 recent
284 386 important 330 335 control 376 301 sound
285 381 girl 331 333 condition 377 301 office
286 379 god 332 333 field 378 300 cut
287 378 several 333 333 pass 379 299 step
288 377 matter 334 333 fall 380 297 class
289 376 usual 335 332 note 381 297 true
290 373 rather 336 332 special 382 297 history
291 371 per 337 332 talk 383 296 position
292 369 often 338 331 particular 384 296 above
293 369 kind 339 330 today 385 295 strong
294 369 among 340 329 measure 386 294 friend
295 368 white 341 328 walk 387 293 necessary
296 365 reason 342 328 teach 388 292 add
297 365 action 343 327 low 389 292 court
298 364 return 344 327 hour 390 291 deal
299 364 foot 345 326 type 391 290 tax
300 360 care 346 326 carry 392 289 support
301 360 simple 347 324 rate 393 286 party
302 359 within 348 324 remain 394 286 whether
303 358 love 349 324 full 395 285 either
304 358 human 350 323 street 396 285 land
305 355 along 351 323 easy 397 285 material
306 353 appear 352 323 although 398 285 happen
307 353 doctor 353 321 record 399 285 education
308 353 believe 354 321 sit 400 284 death
309 352 speak 355 320 determine 401 284 agree
310 351 active 356 315 level 402 283 arm
311 351 student 357 313 local 403 282 mother
312 350 month 358 312 sure 404 282 across
313 349 drive 359 312 receive 405 281 quite