100 Basic English Words for Beginners: Daily Vocabulary List

Essential vocabulary for English learners. Master 100 basic English words to build a strong foundation for speaking and understanding English.

Published: Feb 10, 2026
15 mins read

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Table of Contents

    Learning English starts with mastering the most common words you'll use every day. This comprehensive guide presents 100 essential English words that every beginner (A1 level) should know, organized by category for easy learning.

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    Why These 100 Words Matter

    These basic English words form the foundation of everyday communication. Studies show that the 100 most common English words make up approximately 50% of all written material. Master these, and you'll understand half of what you read and hear!

    Personal Pronouns (8 Words)

    Understanding pronouns is your first step to forming English sentences.

    English WordPronunciationExample Sentence
    I/aɪ/I am a student.
    You/juː/You are my friend.
    He/hiː/He is tall.
    She/ʃiː/She is kind.
    It/ɪt/It is a cat.
    We/wiː/We are happy.
    They/ðeɪ/They are teachers.
    This/ðɪs/This is my book.

    💡 Tip: Practice pronouns by pointing at people and things around you. Say "I am [your name]", "This is [object]", "He/She is [person]."

    Essential Verbs (20 Words)

    These action words help you describe what you do every day.

    English WordPronunciationMeaningExample
    Be/biː/to existI am happy.
    Have/hæv/to possessI have a car.
    Do/duː/to performI do my homework.
    Go/ɡoʊ/to moveI go to school.
    Come/kʌm/to arrivePlease come here.
    See/siː/to viewI see a bird.
    Know/noʊ/to understandI know English.
    Get/ɡet/to obtainI get up at 7 AM.
    Make/meɪk/to createI make breakfast.
    Say/seɪ/to speakI say hello.
    Think/θɪŋk/to believeI think it's good.
    Take/teɪk/to grabTake this pen.
    Want/wɑːnt/to desireI want water.
    Give/ɡɪv/to provideGive me the book.
    Use/juːz/to utilizeI use a phone.
    Work/wɜːrk/to laborI work every day.
    Like/laɪk/to enjoyI like pizza.
    Eat/iːt/to consume foodI eat lunch.
    Drink/drɪŋk/to consume liquidI drink coffee.
    Sleep/sliːp/to restI sleep 8 hours.

    💡 Tip: Learn verbs in groups by daily routine: wake up → get up → eat → go → work → come → eat → sleep.

    Common Nouns (25 Words)

    People & Family

    English WordPronunciationExample
    Man/mæn/The man is tall.
    Woman/ˈwʊmən/The woman is kind.
    Person/ˈpɜːrsən/A person is here.
    Child/tʃaɪld/The child is playing.
    Friend/frend/My friend is nice.
    Family/ˈfæməli/My family is big.
    Mother/ˈmʌðər/My mother cooks well.
    Father/ˈfɑːðər/My father works hard.

    Things & Places

    English WordPronunciationExample
    House/haʊs/My house is small.
    School/skuːl/I go to school.
    Book/bʊk/This book is good.
    Water/ˈwɔːtər/I drink water.
    Food/fuːd/The food is delicious.
    Phone/foʊn/My phone is new.
    Car/kɑːr/His car is red.
    Time/taɪm/What time is it?
    Day/deɪ/Have a nice day!
    Year/jɪr/This year is 2026.
    Hand/hænd/Wash your hands.
    Eye/aɪ/I have two eyes.
    Name/neɪm/My name is John.
    Money/ˈmʌni/I need money.
    Place/pleɪs/This place is nice.
    Thing/θɪŋ/What is this thing?
    Way/weɪ/Which way is home?

    💡 Tip: Label items in your home with English sticky notes to practice nouns daily!

    Important Adjectives (15 Words)

    Adjectives help you describe people, places, and things.

    English WordPronunciationOppositeExample
    Good/ɡʊd/BadThis is good.
    Bad/bæd/GoodThat is bad.
    Big/bɪɡ/SmallA big house.
    Small/smɔːl/BigA small car.
    New/nuː/OldA new phone.
    Old/oʊld/NewAn old book.
    Hot/hɑːt/ColdHot coffee.
    Cold/koʊld/HotCold water.
    Happy/ˈhæpi/SadI am happy.
    Sad/sæd/HappyShe is sad.
    Easy/ˈiːzi/DifficultEnglish is easy.
    Hard/hɑːrd/EasyMath is hard.
    Nice/naɪs/MeanYou are nice.
    Right/raɪt/WrongThat is right.
    Wrong/rɔːŋ/RightThis is wrong.

    💡 Tip: Learn adjectives in opposite pairs (hot/cold, big/small) to double your vocabulary quickly!

    Question Words (6 Words)

    Master these words to ask questions in English.

    English WordPronunciationUseExample
    What/wɑːt/Things/actionsWhat is your name?
    Where/wer/PlacesWhere are you from?
    When/wen/TimeWhen is your birthday?
    Who/huː/PeopleWho is that person?
    Why/waɪ/ReasonsWhy are you sad?
    How/haʊ/Methods/conditionHow are you?

    💡 Tip: Practice one question word per day. Ask yourself questions: "What is this?" "Where am I?" "When is lunch?"

    Basic Prepositions (8 Words)

    Prepositions show relationships between words.

    English WordPronunciationMeaningExample
    In/ɪn/InsideThe book is in the bag.
    On/ɑːn/Surface/topThe cup is on the table.
    At/æt/Specific pointI am at school.
    To/tuː/DirectionI go to work.
    From/frɑːm/OriginI am from India.
    With/wɪð/TogetherI live with my family.
    For/fɔːr/PurposeThis is for you.
    Of/ʌv/BelongingA cup of tea.

    Numbers 0-10 (11 Words)

    NumberEnglish WordPronunciation
    0Zero/ˈzɪroʊ/
    1One/wʌn/
    2Two/tuː/
    3Three/θriː/
    4Four/fɔːr/
    5Five/faɪv/
    6Six/sɪks/
    7Seven/ˈsevən/
    8Eight/eɪt/
    9Nine/naɪn/
    10Ten/ten/

    💡 Tip: Count everything! Count stairs, count items in your bag, count people in a room. Daily practice makes perfect.

    Connecting Words (7 Words)

    These words help you build longer sentences.

    English WordPronunciationUseExample
    And/ænd/AdditionI like tea and coffee.
    But/bʌt/ContrastI'm tired but happy.
    Or/ɔːr/ChoiceTea or coffee?
    Because/bɪˈkɔːz/ReasonI'm happy because it's sunny.
    So/soʊ/ResultI'm tired, so I'll sleep.
    Very/ˈveri/IntensityIt's very cold.
    Not/nɑːt/NegationI am not tired.

    How to Practice These 100 Words Effectively

    Daily Practice Routine (15 Minutes)

    1. Morning (5 minutes): Review 10 words with flashcards
    2. Afternoon (5 minutes): Use 5 words in sentences about your day
    3. Evening (5 minutes): Test yourself by writing 5 words from memory

    Learning Strategies

    ✅ Use the Spaced Repetition Method

    • Day 1: Learn 10 new words
    • Day 2: Review Day 1 + Learn 10 new words
    • Day 3: Review Day 1 & 2 + Learn 10 new words
    • Continue this pattern for all 100 words

    ✅ Create Personal Sentences Don't just memorize. Make sentences about YOUR life:

    • ✗ "I have a book." (generic)
    • ✓ "I have a blue English book on my table." (personal)

    ✅ Practice With Real Situations

    • At the supermarket: "I want milk and bread."
    • With friends: "Where do you work?"
    • At home: "This food is very good."

    ✅ Use Multiple Senses

    • See: Write the words
    • Hear: Listen to pronunciations (use Google Translate or Forvo.com)
    • Speak: Say each word 5 times
    • Touch: Use physical flashcards

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    ❌ Wrong✅ CorrectExplanation
    I am go to schoolI go to schoolDon't use "am" with action verbs
    He are happyHe is happyUse "is" with he/she/it
    This is very good thingThis is a very good thingAdd "a" before singular countable nouns
    I have 25 yearsI am 25 years oldUse "am" for age
    I like very much pizzaI like pizza very muchPlace "very much" after the object

    💡 Tip: Making mistakes is NORMAL and GOOD! Every mistake is a learning opportunity.

    Test Your Knowledge: Quick Quiz

    Fill in the blanks with words from the list:

    1. _____ are you from? (Question word for place)
    2. I _____ to school every day. (Movement verb)
    3. The coffee is very _____. (Temperature adjective)
    4. My _____ is Sarah. (Personal identifier)
    5. I have _____ brothers and _____ sister. (Numbers)

    Answers: 1. Where, 2. go, 3. hot/cold, 4. name, 5. two/three, one

    Next Steps After Mastering These 100 Words

    Once you're comfortable with these basic words, you're ready to:

    1. Expand to 500 words - Learn A2 level vocabulary
    2. Study basic grammar - Present simple, past simple tenses
    3. Practice conversations - Use phrases like "How are you?" "Nice to meet you"
    4. Read simple texts - Children's books, graded readers
    5. Watch English content - Kids' shows with subtitles

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How long does it take to learn these 100 words? With 15 minutes of daily practice, most beginners master these words in 2-3 weeks. However, everyone learns at their own pace.

    Should I learn British or American English? For beginners, the differences are minimal. Choose based on your goals (where you'll use English), but don't worry too much—native speakers understand both!

    Do I need to learn pronunciation symbols? Not necessarily. Use online pronunciation tools (Google Translate, Forvo, YouGlish) to hear words spoken by native speakers.

    What if I forget words I've learned? This is completely normal! Review is key. Use spaced repetition and keep practicing the words in real contexts.

    Can I learn all 100 words in one day? You could memorize them, but you won't remember them long-term. Slow, steady practice with review is much more effective.

    Conclusion

    These 100 basic English words are your foundation for English fluency. Remember:

    • Practice daily - Even 10 minutes helps
    • Use the words - Don't just memorize, communicate
    • Be patient - Language learning takes time
    • Celebrate progress - Every new word is an achievement!

    Start with 10 words today. By next month, you'll be using all 100 words naturally in conversation. You can do this! 🌟

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