Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world and is the second most common language spoken in the United States after the English language. Among Americans, Spanish also holds the distinct honor of being the most studied language in both primary and secondary learning establishments.
To get a jump start in any language, a trick used by experts is first to memorize the most common spoken words. Memorizing the most commonly spoken languages first is called the 80/20 rule, whereby 20 percent of the language is worth more than 80 percent. If you have a limited amount of time to learn a new language, your efforts are best placed in learning the words you will use most often. Below is listed 50 of the most common words in spoken Spanish, to help language learners figure out where to best place their efforts.
| 1. que | that, who |
| 2. de | of, from |
| 3. no | no, not |
| 4. a | to |
| 5. la | the (singular feminine nouns) |
| 6. el | the (singular masculine nouns) |
| 7. es | he is, she is, it is |
| 8. y | and |
| 9. en | in, on, at |
| 10. lo | it, him (direct-object pronoun) |
| 11. los | the (plural masculine nouns) |
| 12. las | the (plural feminine nouns) |
| 13. del | of the, from the |
| 14. una/uno | a, an, one |
| 15. al | to the, at the |
| 16. dos | two |
| 17. cada | each |
| 18. tres | three |
| 19. o | or |
| 20. como | as, like |
| 21. pero | bu |
| 22. si | if |
| 23. porque | because |
| 24. donde | where |
| 25. aunque | although, even though |
| 26. sino | but, except |
| 27. mientras | while |
| 28. por | through, for, along, by |
| 29. ni | nor, neither |
| 30. cuando | when |
| 31. con | with |
| 32. sin | without |
| 33. sobre | around, above, on top of |
| 34. entre | among, between |
| 35. hasta | until |
| 36. desde | from, since |
| 37. durante | during, for |
| 38. contra | against |
| 39. hacia | towards |
| 40. yo | I |
| 41. hoy | today |
| 42. hora | hour |
| 43. bien | good, well |
| 44. poder | can |
| 45. usar | to use |
| 46. hacer | do, to do, did, make |
| 47. ir | go |
| 48. venir | come |
| 49. ayuda | help |
| 50. ahora | now |
The 50 words listed above are among the most common in spoken Spanish. If there is a limited amount of time before you need to learn your new language, these words will be the most useful. In addition to these words, a good practice is to use useful phrases like greetings and common questions next. Learning language apps are an easy way to learn on-the-go.
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About the Author
Chelsea Falin is a dedicated professional with 10+ years experience working as a freelance writer, and 5+ years as a freelance marketer. Studied at ASU for Bachelors in English with minor in Media Analysis, and obtained certification in inbound and content marketing via HubSpot Academy. Experience in multiple forms of digital content.
