Essential 100 Basic English Words with Meaning

Learning 100 basic English words with meaning is really essential for beginners as well as elementary students. The following 100 basic English form the foundation of English language communication and comprehension.

100 Basic English Words with Meaning

What are the 100 common words in English?

Here are the 100 basic English vocabulary words ordered from A to Z:

Basic English Words	Meaning
a	one, any one
about	related to, concerning
after	following something in time
again	once more
all	the entire amount
always	at all times
and	used to connect two words or phrases
animal	a living creature like a cat or dog
answer	a reply to a question
any	one or some, regardless of which
are	plural of is ( a form of the verb be in the present)
around	in a circular position
ask	to request information
at	in a specific place or time
back	the rear side; the part of the body which is behind you, between the neck and top of the legs.
bad	not good
be	to exist
because	for the reason that
before	earlier in time
begin	to start
big	large in size
bird	a creature with feathers and wings
black	a dark color like coal
blue	the color of a clear sky
boy	a male child
but	used to contrast ideas
by	beside; close to; near
can	be able to
cat	a small pet with fur
come	to move toward
could	past form of ‘can’
day	the time from sunrise to sunset
did	past form of ‘do’
do	to perform an action
dog	an animal kept as a pet, or used for hunting.
down	towards the bottom of
each	every; every person; every thing.
eat	to put food into your mouth and swallow it.
find	to see where something hidden or lost is after looking for it.
first	before all others
for	used to show purpose
friend	a person that you know well and like
from	showing the place where something starts or started; showing the time when something starts or started.
get	to receive something; to have something done.
give	to hand over something; to send or pass something to someone as a present.
go	to move from one place to another.
good	positive; pleasant
green	a color like grass
had	past of ‘have’
have	to own
he	referring to a man or boy.
help	to assist; to make it easier for someone to do something.
her	(object pronoun) referring to a female / (adjective) belonging to a female.
here	in this place
him	(object pronoun) referring to a male
his	(adjective) belonging to a male
home	a place where you live or where your parents live.
house	a building where someone lives.
how	showing or asking the way in which something is done.
if	used in asking questions; showing what might happen.
in	inside something
into	used for showing movement towards the inside.
is	3rd person singular present of the verb be.
it	used to refer to something that was mentioned before; used to talk about the weather, the date or time or another situation.
its	belonging to ‘it’
just	only; exactly
know	to have knowledge; to have met someone.
like	to enjoy; to want
look	to use your eyes to see
make	to create; to give someone a feeling; to force someone to do something; to get something ready.
many	a large number of things or people.
me	used by the person who is speaking to talk about himself or herself.
my	belonging to me
new	made very recently, or never used before
no	opposite of ‘yes’
not	a word that makes something negative
now	at this moment
of	belonging to something
off	showing movement or position away from a place; away from work.
on	on the top or surface of something
one	a single thing
only	just one; no more than
or	used to give choices
other	another; different
our	belonging to us
out	not inside; not at home.
play	to take part in a game; to make music on a musical instrument or to put a recording on a machine such as a CD player.
put	to place something somewhere
red	coloured like the colour of blood
right	correct; towards the right-hand side.
say	to speak words
see	to use your eyes to notice something; to watch something such as a film; to visit someone; to understand something.
she	used for referring to a female person, a female animal …
so	very; to a great extent
some	a few; a certain number of; a certain amount of; not all
then	after that; at that time in the past or future.
they	referring to people or things.
this	used to show something which is nearer or in the present, in contrast to something else.
to	showing direction or place; showing a period of time.
up	towards a higher position; towards a higher value, number or level.
very	used to make an adjective or adverb stronger
visit	stay for a short time with someone or in a city or country.
wait	to stay where you are, and not do anything until something happens or someone comes.
what	asking a question; the thing which
yes	a word showing that you agree with someone, accept something or give permission for something.
zoo	a place where wild animals are kept, and where people can go to see them.

100 basic English words with meaning

Basic English Words with American English Pronunciation

Basic English Words Sentences for Students

He is a man and he lives in New York.
She is from the United Kingdom.
Our house is just by the bus stop.
They can speak and write four languages.
He is very tall, but his sister is quite short.
He always speak to us about his family problems.
I come from Washington, but my friend comes from London.
He says we can go in, but children under 10 can’t.
It is very hot in here.
We will visit him in his school.
What are you doing now?
We go to the zoo at the weekend.

Why Do We Need to Learn Basic English Words?

Learning basic English words is essential for beginners and elementary students because they form the foundation of English language communication and comprehension.

Here’s why basic English words are valuable for elementary learners and beginners:

High Frequency in Everyday Language

These words are used frequently in daily conversations, texts, and instructions. Knowing them helps students understand and communicate effectively in common situations.

Builds Reading and Writing Skills

Basic vocabulary is essential for reading fluency and for constructing simple sentences. Mastery of these words allows students to grasp sentence structures and eventually create more complex sentences.

Foundation for Grammar

Many of these words, such as “is,” “are,” “in,” and “on,” are basic parts of English grammar. Understanding these words helps students learn the grammatical framework of English, aiding in sentence formation and understanding meaning in context.

Supports Comprehension

These words are commonly used in instructions, classroom activities, and basic reading passages. Knowing them can boost students’ confidence as they encounter them repeatedly, improving reading comprehension and overall confidence.