📋The 500 most useful everyday words
The 500 English words that cover an ordinary day — family, food, time, numbers, home, getting around, work and the core verbs. Free PDF download.
Word lists tend to stop where the work starts: a hundred words won't carry a conversation, and three thousand won't be learned. Five hundred is the size at which an ordinary day closes — enough to buy food, explain what hurts, arrange to meet someone, and talk about your family and your job.
Here are all 500, in 17 groups. Inside a group the order follows life rather than the alphabet, because alphabetical order is good for looking a word up and useless for remembering it. Each group ends with the short version of where these particular words go wrong.
Download the whole list as a PDF — all 500 words with their uses, ten pages, ready to print or keep on your phone. Free, and there is nothing to sign up for.
How to use this list
- Don't read it straight through. Take one group at a time — that is several days of work. Seventeen groups, one a week, is four months and the whole list.
- Learn pairs, not words. drink coffee, go home, catch the bus stick better than coffee, home, bus, and they come out of your mouth whole. That is why every entry here sits next to a real use rather than a bare definition.
- Test yourself in sentences. A word you recognise in a list is not learned yet; the learned one is the word that arrives on its own when you need it.
- Multi-word entries — ice cream, thank you, get up, post office — count as one item, because they are learned and spoken as one unit.
There are no phonetic transcriptions here on purpose. The right-hand column gives a real use rather than a definition, and reading the pair aloud teaches the pronunciation and the grammar in one go.
What's in the list
Seventeen groups — jump to the one you need, or work straight through:
- People and family — 28 words
- The body, health and the doctor — 26 words
- Home and the things in it — 36 words
- Food and drink — 40 words
- Clothes — 18 words
- Time, days and routine — 34 words
- Numbers — 24 words
- Weather, seasons and nature — 22 words
- Places in a town — 26 words
- Getting around — 22 words
- Work and study — 26 words
- Money and shopping — 22 words
- Phone, internet and devices — 16 words
- The core verbs — 60 words
- Adjectives — 38 words
- Function words: pronouns, questions, prepositions — 46 words
- Polite words and short phrases — 16 words
1. People and family (28 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| mother | my mother's name |
| father | my father works here |
| parents | I live with my parents |
| son | their son is five |
| daughter | our daughter Anna |
| child | a small child |
| children | we have two children |
| brother | my older brother |
| sister | my little sister |
| baby | a new baby |
| husband | her husband is a driver |
| wife | his wife works at a bank |
| family | a big family |
| grandmother | visit my grandmother |
| grandfather | my grandfather's house |
| aunt | my aunt Ann |
| uncle | my uncle's car |
| cousin | my cousin from Almaty |
| friend | my best friend |
| man | a young man |
| woman | the woman over there |
| boy | a boy at our school |
| girl | a little girl |
| people | a lot of people |
| person | one person only |
| neighbour | our new neighbour |
| guest | we have guests today |
| name | what's your name? |
People is already plural: people are waiting. Use person for one and people for more than one — persons survives only in notices and legal text. In-laws take -in-law: mother-in-law, brother-in-law.
2. The body, health and the doctor (26 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| head | my head hurts |
| face | wash your face |
| eye | blue eyes |
| ear | my ears are cold |
| nose | a red nose |
| mouth | open your mouth |
| tooth | brush your teeth |
| hair | long dark hair |
| hand | wash your hands |
| arm | a broken arm |
| leg | my legs are tired |
| foot | on foot |
| finger | cut my finger |
| back | my back hurts |
| stomach | an empty stomach |
| heart | a strong heart |
| skin | dry skin |
| body | the human body |
| doctor | see a doctor |
| nurse | ask the nurse |
| medicine | take this medicine |
| pain | a pain in my back |
| cough | a bad cough |
| fever | she has a fever |
| ill | I feel ill |
| hurt | my leg hurts |
Hand stops at the wrist while arm is the whole limb, and foot and leg split the same way. Tooth and foot go irregular in the plural: teeth, feet. Two ways to report pain: my back hurts or I have a pain in my back.
3. Home and the things in it (36 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| house | a small house |
| home | I'm going home |
| flat | a flat on the third floor |
| room | a room with a window |
| kitchen | cook in the kitchen |
| bedroom | two bedrooms |
| bathroom | the bathroom is upstairs |
| living room | sit in the living room |
| door | close the door |
| window | open the window |
| wall | a photo on the wall |
| floor | the second floor |
| stairs | go up the stairs |
| garden | sit in the garden |
| key | my house keys |
| table | put it on the table |
| chair | sit on this chair |
| bed | go to bed |
| sofa | a soft sofa |
| lamp | turn on the lamp |
| light | turn off the light |
| fridge | milk in the fridge |
| cooker | a gas cooker |
| sink | wash it in the sink |
| shower | have a shower |
| toilet | where is the toilet? |
| towel | a clean towel |
| soap | wash with soap |
| mirror | look in the mirror |
| cup | a cup of tea |
| plate | a plate of rice |
| glass | a glass of water |
| spoon | eat with a spoon |
| fork | a fork and a knife |
| knife | a sharp knife |
| bottle | a bottle of water |
Home doubles as an adverb — go home, no preposition — while house keeps one: go to the house. British flat is American apartment. Rooms take in: in the kitchen.
4. Food and drink (40 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| food | buy some food |
| water | a glass of water |
| bread | fresh bread |
| milk | milk in my coffee |
| tea | a cup of tea |
| coffee | black coffee |
| juice | orange juice |
| sugar | no sugar, thanks |
| salt | pass the salt |
| egg | two eggs |
| cheese | bread and cheese |
| butter | butter on my bread |
| meat | I don't eat meat |
| chicken | chicken and rice |
| fish | fresh fish |
| rice | a bowl of rice |
| pasta | pasta with tomatoes |
| potato | potatoes and meat |
| tomato | a red tomato |
| onion | cut an onion |
| vegetable | fresh vegetables |
| fruit | fruit and vegetables |
| apple | a green apple |
| banana | a banana a day |
| orange | an orange, please |
| soup | hot soup |
| salad | a green salad |
| sandwich | a cheese sandwich |
| cake | a piece of cake |
| ice cream | ice cream for the kids |
| chocolate | a bar of chocolate |
| breakfast | have breakfast |
| lunch | lunch at one |
| dinner | dinner at seven |
| meal | three meals a day |
| menu | can I see the menu? |
| snack | a quick snack |
| bill | can we have the bill? |
| hungry | I'm hungry |
| thirsty | are you thirsty? |
Bread, water, rice, meat and cheese are uncountable: some bread, never a bread. Portions arrive through of: a glass of water, a cup of tea, a piece of cake. You ask for the bill in Britain, the check in the US.
5. Clothes (18 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| clothes | warm clothes |
| shirt | a white shirt |
| T-shirt | a black T-shirt |
| trousers | blue trousers |
| jeans | old jeans |
| dress | a summer dress |
| skirt | a long skirt |
| jacket | take your jacket |
| coat | a warm coat |
| shoes | new shoes |
| socks | clean socks |
| hat | wear a hat |
| scarf | a wool scarf |
| gloves | winter gloves |
| belt | a leather belt |
| size | what size are you? |
| in my pocket | |
| umbrella | take an umbrella |
Clothes, trousers, jeans, shoes and gloves are always plural: my trousers are new. Count them in pairs: a pair of shoes. You wear clothes (a state) and put on clothes (an action).
6. Time, days and routine (34 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| time | what time is it? |
| day | a busy day |
| week | next week |
| month | last month |
| year | this year |
| hour | in an hour |
| minute | wait a minute |
| second | just a second |
| today | I'm free today |
| tomorrow | see you tomorrow |
| yesterday | I saw her yesterday |
| morning | in the morning |
| afternoon | this afternoon |
| evening | in the evening |
| night | at night |
| now | I'm busy now |
| soon | see you soon |
| later | I'll call you later |
| early | I got up early |
| late | don't be late |
| always | she's always late |
| never | I never drink coffee |
| sometimes | sometimes I walk |
| often | we often meet |
| usually | I usually work at home |
| again | say it again |
| already | I've already eaten |
| still | she's still here |
| yet | not ready yet |
| weekend | at the weekend |
| holiday | a week's holiday |
| birthday | happy birthday! |
| clock | the clock on the wall |
| o'clock | at six o'clock |
Days and months are capitalised: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday; January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
The prepositions divide by size: at for clock times (at six), on for days (on Monday), in for months, years and parts of the day (in July, in the morning). One exception, learned whole: at night.
7. Numbers (24 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| zero | zero degrees |
| one | one ticket, please |
| two | two coffees |
| three | three days |
| four | four people |
| five | five minutes |
| six | six o'clock |
| seven | seven days a week |
| eight | eight hours |
| nine | nine euros |
| ten | ten minutes |
| eleven | eleven years old |
| twelve | twelve months |
| twenty | twenty people |
| thirty | thirty minutes |
| fifty | fifty euros |
| hundred | two hundred |
| thousand | a thousand words |
| million | a million people |
| number | my phone number |
| first | the first time |
| last | the last bus |
| half | half an hour |
| twice | twice a week |
13–19 end in -teen (thirteen … nineteen) and the tens in -ty (forty, sixty, eighty) — in speech, stress is all that separates thirteen from thirty. Ordinals open irregular (first, second, third) and then take -th. Hundred and thousand stay singular after a number: two hundred.
8. Weather, seasons and nature (22 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| weather | nice weather today |
| sun | the sun is out |
| rain | rain all day |
| snow | snow in winter |
| wind | a strong wind |
| cloud | dark clouds |
| sky | a blue sky |
| ice | ice on the road |
| storm | a big storm |
| spring | in spring |
| summer | last summer |
| autumn | autumn is cold here |
| winter | a long winter |
| tree | an old tree |
| flower | buy some flowers |
| river | swim in the river |
| sea | by the sea |
| mountain | high mountains |
| forest | walk in the forest |
| animal | wild animals |
| dog | walk the dog |
| cat | feed the cat |
Weather takes the empty subject it: it's raining, it's cold today. Seasons take in: in summer, in winter. American English says fall where British English says autumn.
9. Places in a town (26 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| place | a good place to eat |
| city | a big city |
| town | a small town |
| village | a village near the river |
| street | live on this street |
| road | cross the road |
| shop | the shop is closed |
| supermarket | go to the supermarket |
| market | buy fruit at the market |
| restaurant | a good restaurant |
| café | meet at the café |
| hotel | stay at a hotel |
| hospital | take him to hospital |
| pharmacy | the pharmacy on the corner |
| bank | the bank opens at nine |
| post office | send it from the post office |
| park | walk in the park |
| museum | visit a museum |
| cinema | go to the cinema |
| library | books from the library |
| church | an old church |
| centre | the city centre |
| address | what's your address? |
| map | look at the map |
| corner | on the corner |
| building | a tall building |
At puts you at a point (at the shop), in puts you inside (in the park), and corners take on: on the corner. British shop is American store, and a British pharmacy is often a chemist's.
10. Getting around (22 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| car | come by car |
| bus | take the bus |
| train | the train to Rome |
| plane | miss the plane |
| taxi | call a taxi |
| bike | ride a bike |
| metro | the metro is faster |
| ticket | two tickets, please |
| station | meet me at the station |
| airport | get to the airport |
| passport | show your passport |
| suitcase | a heavy suitcase |
| seat | is this seat free? |
| driver | ask the driver |
| trip | a short trip |
| way | the way to the station |
| left | turn left |
| right | on your right |
| straight | go straight on |
| stop | the next stop |
| platform | platform three |
| flight | a two-hour flight |
Means of transport take by with no article — by bus, by car, by train — but walking is on foot. A specific service takes take: take the 8 o'clock train. Directions: turn left, turn right, go straight on.
11. Work and study (26 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| work | I'm at work |
| job | a new job |
| office | come to the office |
| boss | ask your boss |
| colleague | a colleague of mine |
| meeting | I'm in a meeting |
| company | a small company |
| teacher | my English teacher |
| student | a good student |
| school | the kids are at school |
| university | study at university |
| class | the class starts at ten |
| lesson | an English lesson |
| homework | do your homework |
| exam | pass the exam |
| book | read a book |
| pen | write with a pen |
| pencil | a sharp pencil |
| paper | a sheet of paper |
| notebook | write it in your notebook |
| question | ask a question |
| answer | the right answer |
| word | a new word |
| language | learn a language |
| English | speak English |
| salary | a good salary |
Work drops the article when it means the place: I'm at work, go to work. Job is countable and means the post: a new job. Institutions go bare too: at university (US: at college).
12. Money and shopping (22 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| money | I don't have much money |
| price | the price is too high |
| cash | pay in cash |
| card | pay by card |
| change | keep the change |
| receipt | can I have a receipt? |
| discount | a ten percent discount |
| sale | the shoes are on sale |
| customer | a regular customer |
| bag | a plastic bag |
| box | a box of tea |
| cheap | a cheap hotel |
| expensive | too expensive for me |
| free | the coffee is free |
| queue | stand in the queue |
| shopping | do the shopping |
| wallet | I left my wallet at home |
| coin | a one-euro coin |
| note | a fifty-euro note |
| order | order a taxi |
| basket | put it in the basket |
| delivery | free delivery |
Money is uncountable: much money, a lot of money, never moneys. Ask a price with how much is it? or how much does it cost? The preposition follows the method: pay by card but pay in cash.
13. Phone, internet and devices (16 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| phone | answer the phone |
| computer | work on the computer |
| laptop | my laptop is slow |
| internet | no internet here |
| send me an email | |
| message | I got your message |
| password | forget my password |
| app | download the app |
| screen | look at the screen |
| camera | the camera on my phone |
| photo | take a photo |
| TV | watch TV |
| website | visit our website |
| file | send the file |
| charger | forget my charger |
| online | buy it online |
You call or phone someone directly — never call to me. Message takes two objects: send me a message. Things happen on the internet and on your phone.
14. The core verbs (60 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| be | I am a student |
| have | I have two sisters |
| do | what do you do? |
| go | go to work |
| come | come here |
| get | get a ticket |
| make | make coffee |
| take | take the bus |
| give | give me the key |
| want | I want to go home |
| need | I need help |
| like | I like this city |
| love | I love this song |
| know | I know her |
| think | I think you're right |
| say | say something |
| tell | tell me the truth |
| ask | ask a question |
| see | I can see the sea |
| look | look at this |
| watch | watch a film |
| hear | I can't hear you |
| listen | listen to music |
| speak | speak English |
| talk | can we talk? |
| read | read a book |
| write | write your name |
| eat | eat breakfast |
| drink | drink water |
| sleep | sleep eight hours |
| wake up | wake up at seven |
| get up | get up early |
| wash | wash your hands |
| understand | I don't understand |
| study | study English |
| learn | learn new words |
| teach | she teaches maths |
| play | play football |
| run | run for the bus |
| walk | walk to work |
| sit | sit here |
| stand | stand near the door |
| open | open the window |
| close | close the door |
| start | start at nine |
| finish | finish work at six |
| help | help me, please |
| wait | wait for me |
| meet | meet a friend |
| live | live in Astana |
| stay | stay at home |
| leave | leave at eight |
| arrive | arrive in the evening |
| buy | buy some milk |
| sell | sell a car |
| pay | pay by card |
| cook | cook dinner |
| call | call me tomorrow |
| drive | drive to work |
| use | use my phone |
These sixty carry most of everyday speech. Their pasts are largely irregular and have to be learned as forms: go → went, have → had, see → saw, take → took, buy → bought, make → made, give → gave. Several are inseparable from a preposition — learn the pair, not the verb: listen to music, wait for me, look at this, ask for help.
15. Adjectives (38 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| good | a good idea |
| bad | bad weather |
| big | a big city |
| small | a small flat |
| new | a new phone |
| old | an old house; he's ten years old |
| young | a young teacher |
| long | a long day |
| short | a short walk |
| high | a high price |
| low | a low table |
| hot | hot water |
| cold | cold weather |
| warm | a warm coat |
| happy | a happy child |
| sad | a sad film |
| angry | don't be angry |
| tired | I'm tired |
| nice | a nice place |
| beautiful | a beautiful city |
| easy | an easy question |
| difficult | a difficult word |
| fast | a fast train |
| slow | slow internet |
| strong | strong coffee |
| weak | a weak signal |
| clean | clean clothes |
| dirty | dirty shoes |
| full | the bus is full |
| empty | an empty room |
| far | is it far? |
| wrong | the wrong number |
| same | the same day |
| different | a different answer |
| important | an important call |
| ready | are you ready? |
| busy | I'm busy today |
| funny | a funny story |
Adjectives sit before the noun and never take a plural: a new phone, new phones. Short ones compare with -er/-est (older, the oldest), longer ones with more/most (more important). Age uses old whatever the age: she's three years old.
16. Function words: pronouns, questions, prepositions (46 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| I | I live here |
| you | you know him |
| he | he works at home |
| she | she is a doctor |
| it | it is cold today |
| we | we are friends |
| they | they live in Almaty |
| my | my phone |
| your | your turn |
| his | his car |
| her | her name |
| their | their house |
| this | this book |
| that | that man over there |
| these | these days |
| those | those people |
| what | what is this? |
| where | where do you live? |
| when | when does it start? |
| who | who is she? |
| why | why not? |
| how | how are you? |
| which | which one? |
| in | in the kitchen |
| on | on the table |
| at | at home; at six |
| to | go to work |
| from | from Monday |
| with | with milk |
| for | for you |
| of | a cup of tea |
| about | talk about work |
| under | under the table |
| between | between two and three |
| and | bread and butter |
| but | small but nice |
| or | tea or coffee? |
| because | because it's late |
| if | if you want |
| so | it's late, so let's go |
| some | some water |
| any | any questions? |
| all | all day |
| many | many people |
| very | very good |
| not | it's not here |
These rarely translate one for one — they are what holds a sentence together. English insists on a subject (it is cold, never is cold) and inverts in questions: where do you live? Add much (with uncountables), more, too, also and only alongside them: they behave the same way.
17. Polite words and short phrases (16 words)
| Word | Typical use |
|---|---|
| hello | hello, how are you? |
| hi | hi, it's me |
| goodbye | goodbye, see you |
| please | two tickets, please |
| thank you | thank you very much |
| sorry | sorry, I'm late |
| excuse me | excuse me, where is the station? |
| yes | yes, of course |
| no | no, thanks |
| OK | OK, let's go |
| welcome | welcome to Astana |
| congratulations | congratulations on your exam |
| good luck | good luck tomorrow |
| of course | of course you can |
| maybe | maybe later |
| see you | see you on Monday |
A few entries here are set phrases rather than single words, and they are learned whole. Excuse me comes before you disturb someone; sorry comes after. Please usually lands at the end: two tickets, please.
How to get through 500 words without quitting
Five hundred words look like a mountain while you are counting words. Count groups instead: there are seventeen, and each one closes a recognisable part of a day. Food and drink is a shop and a café; the body, health and the doctor is an appointment from start to finish.
The order that works:
- Take one group and cross out what you already know. A third usually survives — and the mountain shrinks by two thirds.
- Build five sentences about your own day from what is left. Your day, not a textbook's.
- Come back a day later and say those five sentences without looking. Whatever didn't come back is your real list for the week.
From here, go by theme: family, home and daily routine covers home life in more detail, numbers, time and prices covers what a trip demands, and food, cooking and eating out takes you all the way to ordering at a table.
Test yourself
The quiz below pulls words from across the groups and puts them into short, ordinary sentences — where the list can no longer prompt you.