THE WORD LISTS
Ten lists, built to work together.
Start with the core list, then add the one that matches your learners' goals. Three further lists work independently for specific needs.
START HERE: THE CORE LIST
New General Service List (NGSL) — 2,809 words · ~92%+ coverage of general English
The most important words of everyday English, and where almost every learner should start. Less than 10% of the vocabulary a native-speaker graduate knows, but enough to understand most of what they read and hear.
See the NGSL →
THEN ADD ONE: SPECIAL PURPOSE LISTS
New Academic Word List (NAWL) — 960 words · 92% coverage of academic text
For students reading academic texts and studying at English-medium universities.
See the NAWL →
TOEIC Service List (TSL) — 1,200 words · 99% coverage of the TOEIC
For learners preparing for the TOEIC exam.
See the TSL →
Business Service List (BSL) — 1,700 words · 97% coverage of business English
For learners working in English, and for business English courses.
See the BSL →
Bible English List (BEL) — 1,000 words · 99% coverage
For readers of the Bible and other religious texts in English.
See the BEL →
Fitness English List (FEL) — 620 words · 98% coverage
For learners in sport, fitness and wellness settings.
See the FEL →
Medical Oral English List (MOEL) — 650+ words and phrases
For medical and nursing students communicating with patients in English.
See the MOEL →
LISTS THAT WORK ON THEIR OWN
NGSL-Spoken (NGSL-S) — 721 words
The words that matter most in conversation, for learners focused on speaking and listening.
See NGSL-S →
New Dolch List (NDL) — 874 words
Children's English, for young learners and the teachers and parents who work with them.
See the NDL →
NGSL-Graded Reader (NGSL-GR) — mid-frequency extension to 5,000 words
For writers and publishers developing graded readers beyond the core list.
See NGSL-GR →
Everything here is free. All lists are released under Creative Commons and may be used commercially. Each page has downloads in several formats, plus the tools built for that list.