Why create this list?

This is a basic, simplified English vocabulary for international conversation.

The list is meant to be used by professionals who are writers, editors, or translators. These professionals have the skill to learn about the intended readers, the purpose of the communication, and standard practices of English expression.

​I expect them to know when it is appropriate to modify a word or go outside this list to choose a better word in a particular circumstance.

English serves as an international lingua franca. It is a difficult language to learn. One way to provide ease for non-native speakers is to limit the working vocabulary. Currently, there are nearly two billion people who have studied English as a non-native language.

You can read Wikipedia to learn about the many efforts to simplify English, from Basic Global English (BGE), Global English, Simplified English, and Globish.

This list is a work in progress and is still being reviewed and proofread. It is a general-purpose list; supplemental lists might be created for specific fields like art, law, or science.

Resources used

To develop this list, I drew from several word lists, from the most frequently used words in North American use and the basic 750-word list for BGE. I also used a recently published list Most Used 2264 Words in English by Ahmed Shaheen, https://www.academia.edu/23502585/Most_used_2264_Words_in_English for international use.

The list was reviewed with these resources and problematic words have been removed:

• Minimal English, https://intranet.secure.griffith.edu.au/schools-departments/natural-semantic-metalanguage/minimal-english/what-is-minimal-english
• The Handy List of Human Words from Medium https://medium.com/curiosity-by-design/the-handy-list-of-human-words-a70f13dde55e
• the European Commission publication Misused English words and expressions in EU publications at https://termcoord.eu/2017/01/misused-english-words-and-expressions-in-eu-publications/. Also available in pdf.
• Using Words Properly In Research Writing: Common confusables and how to avoid them, Bacon Editing, 2019 https://www.baconediting.com/blog/using-words-properly-in-research-writing

 

Method and contents
 
To reduce the size of the list and to promote clear and simple language, the list has been pruned by taking these steps:

• Replaced complex words with simpler alternatives in common use
• Use singular form and core word form
• Removed pronouns and determiners:  definite and indefinite articles, demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these and those), and possessives (my, your, hers, his, its, ours,  theirs).
• Reduced verb forms to infinitive (leaving out the to)
• Removed words for colors, sports, animals, body parts, and foods
• Remove number words because we should use numerals instead of number words, except for one, once, and twice. 
• Remove complex or complicated words if a simpler alternative is in the list
• Remove most nominalizations and ly adverbs
• Remove many false friends (faux amis) like actual, control, delay, dispose, element, elaborate, eventual, expose, foresee, project, punctual, report, respect, sensible

For general style guidelines when no other is suitable, I suggest this European Community English Style Guide at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/styleguide_english_dgt_en.pdf. 


The List

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