The most common adverbs in English
Every adverb from my list of the 5,000 most common words in spoken American English — 214 in total, ranked by how often people actually say them. Click any word to hear it.
Together, these adverbs account for 9% of all recorded uses. The rank shows each adverb's position in the full 5,000-word list.
| Rank | Word | Part of speech | Pronunciation & forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | just | adverb | |
| 32 | so | adverb | |
| 36 | yeah | adverb | |
| 37 | well | adverb | |
| 39 | here | adverb | |
| 41 | out | adverb | |
| 45 | up | adverb | |
| 47 | now | adverb | |
| 54 | how | adverb | |
| 63 | really | adverb | |
| 64 | okay | adverb | |
| 69 | why | adverb | |
| 70 | there | adverb | |
| 76 | like | adverb | |
| 77 | when | adverb | |
| 82 | yes | adverb | |
| 84 | back | adverb | |
| 93 | then | adverb | |
| 99 | where | adverb | |
| 102 | never | adverb | |
| 104 | too | adverb | |
| 111 | down | adverb | |
| 116 | very | adverb | |
| 123 | maybe | adverb | |
| 126 | even | adverb | |
| 133 | please | adverb | |
| 147 | right | adverb | |
| 148 | ever | adverb | |
| 150 | again | adverb | |
| 158 | still | adverb | |
| 161 | only | adverb | |
| 187 | always | adverb | |
| 193 | actually | adverb | |
| 197 | away | adverb | |
| 221 | today | adverb | |
| 237 | together | adverb | |
| 248 | long | adverb | |
| 249 | tonight | adverb | |
| 257 | else | adverb | |
| 303 | already | adverb | |
| 319 | once | adverb | |
| 321 | probably | adverb | |
| 341 | anyway | adverb | |
| 361 | anymore | adverb | |
| 362 | also | adverb | |
| 370 | totally | adverb | |
| 373 | exactly | adverb | |
| 382 | OK | adverb | |
| 392 | ago | adverb | |
| 396 | finally | adverb | |
| 433 | sometimes | adverb | |
| 445 | soon | adverb | |
| 452 | almost | adverb | |
| 486 | ahead | adverb | |
| 558 | seriously | adverb | |
| 563 | quite | adverb | |
| 579 | yep | adverb | |
| 589 | absolutely | adverb | |
| 590 | next | adverb | |
| 614 | sure | adverb | |
| 625 | far | adverb | |
| 657 | instead | adverb | |
| 665 | completely | adverb | |
| 677 | forever | adverb | |
| 685 | fast | adverb | |
| 736 | somewhere | adverb | |
| 741 | definitely | adverb | |
| 743 | pretty | adverb | |
| 773 | perhaps | adverb | |
| 798 | alright | adverb | |
| 815 | rather | adverb | |
| 826 | apparently | adverb | |
| 828 | obviously | adverb | |
| 854 | nope | adverb | |
| 866 | inside | adverb | |
| 871 | usually | adverb | |
| 891 | certainly | adverb | |
| 895 | anywhere | adverb | |
| 1009 | clearly | adverb | |
| 1086 | forward | adverb | |
| 1099 | suddenly | adverb | |
| 1107 | twice | adverb | |
| 1114 | upstairs | adverb | |
| 1194 | everywhere | adverb | |
| 1206 | super | adverb | |
| 1208 | fucking | adverb | |
| 1222 | somehow | adverb | |
| 1233 | possibly | adverb | |
| 1242 | perfectly | adverb | |
| 1259 | alone | adverb | |
| 1260 | lately | adverb | |
| 1263 | especially | adverb | |
| 1271 | often | adverb | |
| 1302 | someday | adverb | |
| 1304 | certain | adverb | |
| 1316 | damn | adverb | |
| 1327 | straight | adverb | |
| 1364 | honestly | adverb | |
| 1401 | unfortunately | adverb | |
| 1416 | barely | adverb | |
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| 1446 | sometime | adverb | |
| 1490 | truly | adverb | |
| 1529 | basically | adverb | |
| 1580 | literally | adverb | |
| 1592 | recently | adverb | |
| 1634 | eventually | adverb | |
| 1645 | apart | adverb | |
| 1648 | mostly | adverb | |
| 1655 | meanwhile | adverb | |
| 1662 | quickly | adverb | |
| 1687 | indeed | adverb | |
| 1705 | simply | adverb | |
| 1727 | immediately | adverb | |
| 1728 | nowhere | adverb | |
| 1732 | hardly | adverb | |
| 1738 | frankly | adverb | |
| 1820 | technically | adverb | |
| 1839 | asleep | adverb | |
| 1872 | aside | adverb | |
| 1915 | downstairs | adverb | |
| 2039 | officially | adverb | |
| 2047 | further | adverb | |
| 2048 | incredibly | adverb | |
| 2080 | low | adverb | |
| 2092 | accidentally | adverb | |
| 2167 | aye | adverb | |
| 2196 | normally | adverb | |
| 2208 | extremely | adverb | |
| 2276 | slowly | adverb | |
| 2316 | anytime | adverb | |
| 2336 | personally | adverb | |
| 2369 | backwards | adverb | |
| 2382 | easily | adverb | |
| 2391 | someplace | adverb | |
| 2407 | practically | adverb | |
| 2483 | highly | adverb | |
| 2494 | forth | adverb | |
| 2539 | sexually | adverb | |
| 2555 | nearly | adverb | |
| 2582 | directly | adverb | |
| 2612 | aboard | adverb | |
| 2615 | badly | adverb | |
| 2668 | halfway | adverb | |
| 2671 | o'clock | adverb | |
| 2674 | round | adverb | |
| 2681 | awfully | adverb | |
| 2703 | carefully | adverb | |
| 2729 | entirely | adverb | |
| 2735 | slow | adverb | |
| 2763 | left | adverb | |
| 2776 | slightly | adverb | |
| 2783 | hereby | adverb | |
| 2806 | fully | adverb | |
| 2866 | afterwards | adverb | |
| 2874 | late | adverb | |
| 2879 | nicely | adverb | |
| 2924 | hopefully | adverb | |
| 2935 | terribly | adverb | |
| 2954 | specifically | adverb | |
| 2959 | differently | adverb | |
| 2979 | extra | adverb | |
| 3030 | currently | adverb | |
| 3135 | constantly | adverb | |
| 3152 | awful | adverb | |
| 3211 | surely | adverb | |
| 3228 | naturally | adverb | |
| 3232 | secretly | adverb | |
| 3238 | way | adverb | |
| 3250 | emotionally | adverb | |
| 3290 | necessarily | adverb | |
| 3317 | legally | adverb | |
| 3350 | fairly | adverb | |
| 3357 | off | adverb | |
| 3385 | deeply | adverb | |
| 3425 | merely | adverb | |
| 3495 | luckily | adverb | |
| 3499 | overnight | adverb | |
| 3500 | particularly | adverb | |
| 3516 | anyhow | adverb | |
| 3528 | mentally | adverb | |
| 3577 | physically | adverb | |
| 3608 | happily | adverb | |
| 3732 | somewhat | adverb | |
| 3767 | quietly | adverb | |
| 3769 | safely | adverb | |
| 3773 | surprisingly | adverb | |
| 3786 | alike | adverb | |
| 3829 | mighty | adverb | |
| 3839 | double | adverb | |
| 3870 | thus | adverb | |
| 3875 | wide | adverb | |
| 3887 | generally | adverb | |
| 3966 | early | adverb | |
| 3969 | gently | adverb | |
| 3994 | sadly | adverb | |
| 4130 | occasionally | adverb | |
| 4135 | properly | adverb | |
| 4206 | desperately | adverb | |
| 4260 | closely | adverb | |
| 4275 | importantly | adverb | |
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| 4322 | kindly | adverb | |
| 4328 | originally | adverb | |
| 4433 | fortunately | adverb | |
| 4457 | secondly | adverb | |
| 4582 | precisely | adverb | |
| 4703 | shortly | adverb | |
| 4718 | backstage | adverb | |
| 4754 | correctly | adverb | |
| 4770 | horribly | adverb | |
| 4798 | strongly | adverb | |
| 4902 | poorly | adverb | |
| 5008 | elsewhere | adverb | |
| 5023 | ironically | adverb | |
| 5043 | sincerely | adverb | |
https://frequencylist.com/adverbs/
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