【OBE】OGDEN's BASIC ENGLISH
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http://ogden.basic-english.org/basiceng.html
OGDEN's BASIC ENGLISH
This is the new address since March 1, 2003.
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If one were to take the 25,000 word Oxford Pocket English Dictionary and remove the redundancies of our rich language and eliminate the words that can be replaced by combinations of simpler words, we find that 90% of the concepts in that dictionary can be achieved with 850 words. The shortened list simplifies the effort to learn spelling and pronunciation irregularities. The rules of usage are identical to full English so that the practitioner communicates in perfectly good, yet simple, English.
We call this simplified language Basic English, the developer is Charles K. Ogden, and was released in 1930 with the book: Basic English: A General Introduction with Rules and Grammar. He founded the Orthological Institute to develop the tools for teaching Basic English. His most famous associate, I.A. Richards, led the effort in the Orient, which uses the techniques to this day.
About this Page: BasicEng.html -- Index to Ogden's Basic English website.
A place for Basic English on the Web; it is too good of an idea to be lost.
Although a fan of the Basic English concept, I am not a practioner of it.
Last updated June 5, 2003 -- add C K Ogden bio.
Created on December 20, 1996.
Contact us by E-mail.mailto:%20manor1@basic-english.org (A former address has been discontinued, too much spam.).
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http://ogden.basic-english.org/words.html
OGDEN's BASIC ENGLISH
Word List - in His Order
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OPERATIONS - 100 words
come, get, give, go, keep, let, make, put, seem, take, be, do, have, say, see, send, may, will,
about, across, after, against, among, at, before, between, by, down, from, in, off, on, over, through, to, under, up, with,
as, for, of, till, than,
a , the, all, any, every, little, much, no, other, some, such, that, this, I , he, you, who,
and, because, but, or, if, though, while, how, when, where, why,
again, ever, far, forward, here, near, now, out, still, then, there, together, well,
almost, enough, even, not, only, quite, so, very, tomorrow, yesterday,
north, south, east, west, please, yes .
THINGS - 400 General words
account, act, addition, adjustment, advertisement, agreement, air, amount, amusement, animal, answer, apparatus, approval, argument, art, attack, attempt, attention, attraction, authority, back, balance, base, behavior, belief, birth, bit, bite, blood, blow, body, brass, bread, breath, brother, building, burn, burst, business, butter, canvas, care, cause, chalk, chance, change, cloth, coal, color, comfort, committee, company, comparison, competition, condition, connection, control, cook, copper, copy, cork, cotton, cough, country, cover, crack, credit, crime, crush, cry ,current, curve, damage, danger, daughter, day, death, debt, decision, degree, design, desire, destruction, detail, development, digestion, direction, discovery, discussion, disease, disgust, distance, distribution, division, doubt, drink, driving, dust, earth, edge, education, effect, end, error, event, example, exchange, existence, expansion, experience, expert, fact, fall, family, father, fear, feeling, fiction, field, fight, fire, flame, flight, flower, fold, food, force, form, friend, front, fruit, glass, gold, government, grain, grass, grip, group, growth, guide, harbor, harmony, hate, hearing, heat, help, history, hole, hope, hour, humor ice, idea, impulse, increase, industry, ink, insect, instrument, insurance, interest, invention, iron, jelly, join, journey, judge, jump, kick, kiss, knowledge, land, language, laugh, law, lead, learning, leather, letter, level, lift, light, limit, linen, liquid, list, look, loss, love, machine, man, manager, mark, market, mass, meal, measure, meat, meeting, memory, metal, middle, milk, mind, mine, minute, mist, money, month, morning ,mother, motion, mountain, move, music, name, nation, need, news, night, noise, note, number, observation, offer, oil, operation, opinion, order, organization, ornament, owner, page, pain, paint, paper, part, paste, payment, peace, person, place, plant, play, pleasure, point, poison, polish, porter, position, powder, power, price, print, process, produce, profit, property, prose, protest, pull, punishment, purpose, push, quality, question, rain, range, rate, ray, reaction, reading, reason, record, regret, relation, religion, representative, request, respect, rest, reward, rhythm, rice, river, road, roll, room, rub, rule, run, salt, sand, scale, science, sea seat, secretary, selection, self, sense, servant, sex, shade, shake, shame, shock, side, sign, silk, silver, sister, size, sky, sleep, slip, slope, smash, smell, smile, smoke, sneeze, snow, soap, society, son, song, sort, sound, soup, space stage start statement, steam, steel, step, stitch, stone, stop, story, stretch, structure substance sugar, suggestion, summer, support, surprise, swim, system, talk, taste, tax, teaching, tendency, test, theory, thing, thought, thunder, time, tin, top, touch, trade, transport, trick, trouble, turn, twist, unit, use, value, verse, vessel, view, voice, walk, war, wash, waste, water, wave, wax, way, weather, week, weight, wind, wine, winter, woman, wood, wool, word, work, wound, writing . year
THINGS - 200 Picturable words
angle, ant, apple, arch, arm, army, baby, bag, ball, band, basin, basket, bath, bed, bee, bell, berry, bird, blade, board, boat, bone, book, boot, bottle, box, boy, brain, brake, branch, brick, bridge, brush, bucket, bulb, button, cake, camera, card, cart, carriage, cat, chain, cheese, chest, chin, church, circle, clock, cloud, coat, collar, comb, cord, cow, cup, curtain, cushion, dog, door, drain, drawer, dress, drop, ear, egg, engine, eye, face, farm, feather, finger, fish, flag, floor, fly, foot, fork, fowl, frame garden, girl, glove, goat, gun, hair, hammer, hand, hat, head, heart, hook, horn, horse, hospital, house, island, jewel, kettle, key, knee, knife, knot, leaf, leg, library, line, lip, lock, map, match, monkey, moon, mouth, muscle, nail, neck, needle, nerve, net, nose, nut, office, orange, oven, parcel, pen, pencil, picture, pig, pin, pipe, plane, plate, plough/plow, pocket, pot, potato, prison, pump, rail, rat, receipt, ring, rod, roof, root, sail, school, scissors, screw, seed, sheep, shelf, ship, shirt, shoe, skin, skirt, snake, sock, spade, sponge, spoon, spring, square, stamp, star, station, stem, stick, stocking, stomach, store, street, sun, table, tail, thread, throat, thumb, ticket, toe, tongue, tooth, town, train, tray, tree, trousers, umbrella, wall, watch, wheel, whip, whistle, window, wing, wire, worm .
QUALITIES - 100 General
able, acid, angry, automatic, beautiful, black, boiling, bright, broken, brown, cheap, chemical, chief, clean, clear, common, complex, conscious, cut, deep, dependent, early, elastic, electric, equal, fat, fertile, first, fixed, flat, free, frequent, full, general, good, great, grey/gray, hanging, happy, hard, healthy, high, hollow, important, kind, like, living, long, male, married, material, medical, military, natural, necessary, new, normal, open, parallel, past, physical, political, poor, possible, present, private, probable, quick, quiet, ready, red, regular, responsible, right, round, same, second, separate, serious, sharp, smooth, sticky, stiff, straight, strong, sudden, sweet, tall, thick, tight, tired, true, violent, waiting, warm, wet, wide, wise, yellow, young .
QUALITIES - 50 Opposites
awake, bad, bent, bitter, blue, certain, cold, complete, cruel, dark, dead, dear, delicate, different, dirty, dry, false, feeble, female, foolish, future, green, ill, last, late, left, loose, loud, low, mixed, narrow, old, opposite, public, rough, sad, safe, secret, short, shut, simple, slow, small, soft, solid, special, strange, thin, white, wrong .
About this Page : words.html -- Ogden's Basic English 850 words in his sequence.
Last updated on January 1, 1996
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http://ogden.basic-english.org/wordalph.html
OGDEN's BASIC ENGLISH
Word List - Alphabetic
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A
a , able , about , account , acid , across , act , addition , adjustment , advertisement , agreement , after , again , against , air , all , almost , among , amount , amusement , and , angle , angry , animal , answer , ant , any , apparatus , apple , approval , arch , argument , arm , army, art , as , at , attack , attempt , attention , attraction , authority , automatic , awake .
B
baby , back , bad , bag , balance , ball , band , base , basin , basket , bath , be , beautiful , because , bed , bee , before , behavior , belief , bell , bent , berry , between , bird , birth , bit , bite , bitter , black , blade , blood , blow , blue , board , boat , body , boiling , bone , book , boot , bottle , box , boy , brain , brake , branch , brass , bread , breath , brick , bridge , bright , broken , brother , brown , brush , bucket , building , bulb , burn , burst , business , but , butter , button , by .
C
cake , camera , canvas , card , care , carriage , cart , cat , cause , certain , chain , chalk , chance , change , cheap , cheese , chemical , chest , chief , chin , church , circle , clean , clear , clock , cloth , cloud , coal , coat , cold , collar , color , comb , come , comfort , committee , common , company , comparison , competition , complete , complex , condition , connection , conscious , control , cook , copper , copy , cord , cork , cotton , cough , country , cover , cow , crack , credit , crime , cruel , crush , cry , cup , current , curtain , curve , cushion , cut .
D
damage , danger , dark , daughter , day , dead , dear , death , debt , decision , deep , degree , delicate , dependent , design , desire , destruction , detail , development , different , digestion , direction , dirty , discovery , discussion , disease , disgust , distance , distribution , division , do , dog , door , doubt , down , drain , drawer , dress , drink , driving , drop , dry , dust .
E
ear , early , earth , east , edge , education , effect , egg , elastic , electric , end , engine , enough , equal , error , even , event , ever , every , example , exchange , existence , expansion , experience , expert , eye .
F
face , fact , fall , false , family , far , farm , fat , father , fear , feather , feeble , feeling , female , fertile , fiction , field , fight , finger , fire , first , fish , fixed , flag , flame , flat , flight , floor , flower , fly , fold , food , foolish , foot , for , force , fork , form , forward , fowl , frame , free , frequent , friend , from , front , fruit , full , future .
G
garden , general , get , girl , give , glass , glove , go , goat , gold , good , government , grain , grass , great , green , grey/gray , grip , group , growth , guide , gun .
H
hair , hammer , hand , hanging , happy , harbor , hard , harmony , hat , hate , have , he , head , healthy , hearing , heart , heat , help , here , high , history , hole , hollow , hook , hope , horn , horse , hospital , hour , house , how , humor .
I
I , ice , idea , if , ill , important , impulse , in , increase , industry , ink , insect , instrument , insurance , interest , invention , iron , island .
J
jelly , jewel , join , journey , judge , jump .
K
keep , kettle , key , kick , kind , kiss , knee , knife , knot , knowledge .
L
land , language , last , late , laugh , law , lead , leaf , learning , leather, left , leg , let , letter , level , library , lift , light , like , limit , line , linen , lip , liquid , list , little (less ,least) , living , lock , long , loose , loss , loud , love , low .
M
machine , make , male , man , manager , map , mark , market , married , match , material , mass , may , meal , measure , meat , medical , meeting , memory , metal , middle , military , milk , mind , mine , minute , mist , mixed , money , monkey , month , moon , morning , mother , motion , mountain , mouth , move , much (more, most) , muscle , music .
N
nail , name , narrow , nation , natural , near , necessary , neck , need , needle , nerve , net , new , news , night , no , noise , normal , north , nose , not , note , now , number , nut .
O
observation , of , off , offer , office , oil , old , on , only , open , operation , opinion , opposite , or , orange , order , organization , ornament , other , out , oven , over , owner.
P
page , pain , paint , paper , parallel , parcel , part , past , paste , payment , peace , pen , pencil , person , physical , picture , pig , pin , pipe , place , plane , plant , plate , play , please , pleasure , plough/plow , pocket , point , poison , polish , political , poor , porter , position , possible , pot , potato , powder , power , present , price , print , prison , private , probable , process , produce , profit , property , prose , protest , public , pull , pump , punishment , purpose , push , put .
Q
quality , question , quick , quiet , quite .
R
rail , rain , range , rat , rate , ray , reaction , red , reading , ready , reason , receipt , record , regret , regular , relation , religion , representative , request , respect , responsible , rest , reward , rhythm , rice , right , ring , river , road , rod , roll , roof , room , root , rough , round , rub , rule , run .
S
sad , safe , sail , salt , same , sand , say , scale , school , science , scissors , screw , sea , seat , second , secret , secretary , see , seed , selection , self , send , seem , sense , separate , serious , servant , sex , shade , shake , shame , sharp , sheep , shelf , ship , shirt , shock , shoe , short , shut , side , sign , silk , silver , simple , sister , size , skin , skirt , sky , sleep , slip , slope , slow , small , smash , smell , smile , smoke , smooth , snake , sneeze , snow , so , soap , society , sock , soft , solid , some , son , song , sort , sound , south , soup , space , spade , special , sponge , spoon , spring , square , stamp , stage , star , start , statement , station , steam , stem , steel , step , stick , still , stitch , stocking , stomach , stone , stop , store , story , strange , street , stretch , sticky , stiff , straight , strong , structure , substance , sugar , suggestion , summer , support , surprise , such , sudden , sun , sweet , swim , system .
T
table , tail , take , talk , tall , taste , tax , teaching , tendency , test , than , that , the , then , theory , there , thick , thin , thing , this , thought , thread , throat , though , through , thumb , thunder , ticket , tight , tired , till , time , tin , to , toe , together , tomorrow , tongue , tooth , top , touch , town , trade , train , transport , tray , tree , trick , trousers , true , trouble , turn , twist .
U
umbrella , under , unit , use , up .
V
value , verse , very , vessel , view , violent , voice .
W
walk , wall , waiting , war , warm , wash , waste , watch , water , wave , wax , way , weather , week , weight , well , west , wet , wheel , when , where , while , whip , whistle , white , who , why , wide , will , wind , window , wine , wing , winter , wire , wise , with , woman , wood , wool , word , work , worm , wound , writing , wrong .
X , Y , Z
year , yellow , yes , yesterday , you , young .
About this Page : wordalph.html -- Ogden's Basic English 850 words put into Alphabetical Order.
Last updated on October 10, 2002 . Add less, least, more, most.
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http://ogden.basic-english.org/rules.html
OGDEN's BASIC ENGLISH
Rules of Grammar
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Ogden's rules of grammar for Basic English extend the 850 word vocabulary to the breadth needed to describe objects and events in the environment and more smoothly communicate with people.
1. Plurals are formed with a trailing "S". The normal exceptions of standard English also apply, notably "ES" and "IES".
2. There are four derivatives for the 300 nouns: -"ER" and -"ING", and two adjectives, -"ING" and -"ED".
3. Adverbs use -"LY" from qualifiers.
4. Degree is expressed with "MORE" and "MOST". Be prepared to find -"ER" and -"EST" in common usage.
5. Negative adjectives are formed with "UN"-
6. Questions are formed by inversion and by "DO".
7. Operators and pronouns conjugate in full.
8. Compound words may be combined from two nouns (milkman) or a noun and a directive (sundown).
9. Measurement, numerals, currency, calendar, and international terms are in English form.
10. Technical expressions required and customary for the immediate task are included in the locally used form.
About this Page : rules.html
A summary of Ogden's Basic English rules of grammar. You can't get much simpler than this.
Last updated on January 1, 1996
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http://ogden.basic-english.org/intlword.html
BASIC ENGLISH SUPPLEMENTARY WORD LISTs
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I. INTERNATIONAL WORDS.
Together with the international adjective international, fifty nouns of general utility have been provisionally recognized by Basic English as International -- widely understood without instruction:
International Nouns (50):
alcohol, aluminum, automobile, bank, bar, beef, beer, calendar, check, chemist, chocolate, chorus, cigarette, club, coffee, colony, dance, engineer, gas, hotel, influenza, lava, madam, nickel, opera, orchestra, paraffin, park, passport, patent, phonograph, piano, police, post, program, propaganda, radio, restaurant, sir, sport, taxi, tea, telegram, telephone, terrace, theater, tobacco, university, whisky, zinc.
Names of Sciences (12):
Algebra, Arithmetic, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Geometry, Mathematics, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, Zoology.
International Names used in Titles, Organizations, Diplomacy, etc. (12)
College, Dominion, Embassy, Empire, Imperial, King, Museum, President, Prince, Princess, Queen, Royal.
There are 50 nouns of less general utility for use in appropriate contexts. These have been submitted for review by international committees to see if they are truly international words:
General Utility (50)
ammonia, asbestos, autobus, ballet, cafe, catarrh, champagne, chauffeur, circus, citron, cocktail, cognac, dynamite, encyclopedia, glycerin, hyena, hygiene, hysteria, inferno, jazz, liqueur, macaroni, malaria, mania, nicotine, olive, omelet, opium, paradise, penguin, platinum, potash, pajamas, pyramid, quinine, radium, referendum, rheumatism, rum, salad, sardine, tapioca, toast, torpedo, vanilla, violin, visa, vodka, volt, zebra.
Onomatopoeic
Bang - noise made by burst
Hiss - noise of a snake
Mew - sound of a cat
Purr - sound of a happy cat
Quack - sound of a water fowl.
The achievements of science are usefully summarized with respect to:
Science notation and measurement:
The system of numbers.
The metric system.
The measurement of latitude and longitude.
Mathematical symbols.
Money systems.
Chemical formula.
Time and the calendar.
Proper names.
Notation in music.
Time and Numbers (50)
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, twenty, twenty-one, thirty, forty, fifty, hundred, thousand, million,
once, twice, half, quarter, third, fourth, fifth.
II. Special Lists
The general science list is of words frequently used in science or are common to two or more sciences.
The General Science List (100)
adsorption, active, adjacent, age, alternative, application, arc, area, arrangement, ash, axis, break, bubble, capacity, case, cell, column, component, compound, continuous, cross, decrease, deficiency, deposit, determining, difference, difficulty, direct, disappearance, discharge, disturbance, elimination, environment, equation, evaporation, exact, experiment, explanation, focus, friction, fusion, generation, groove, guard, hinge, impurity, individual, interpretation, investigation, joint, latitude, layer, length, link, longitude, mean, melt, mixture, nucleus, origin, path, pressure, projection, proof, reference, relative, reproduction, resistance, rigidity, rock, rot, rotation, screen, seal, section, sensitivity, shadow, shear, shell, similarity, solution, spark, specialization, specimen, stimulus, strain, strength, stress, substitution, successive, supply, surface, swelling, thickness, thrust, tide, transmission, transparent, tube, valve.
International Words in Science
Common Usage :[partial list] - anesthetic, bomb, electricity, magnetic, microscope, neutron, organism, petroleum, turbine, thermometer, serum, vitamin.
Technical List: [partial] - allotropy, endothelium, haemoeyanin, isomorphism, phylogeny, tropism.
Physics - Chemistry : (50)
absorption, beaker, buoyancy, charge, circuit, clip, coil, collision, combination, conductor, conservation, corrosion, density, dilution, dissipation, explosion, flask, fume, funnel, furnace, grating, image, insulator, lag, lens, medium, oxidation, particle, pendulum, plug, porcelain, radiation, reagent, receiver, reflux, repulsion, residue, reversible, saturated, solvent, stable, stream, suspension, switch, tongs, trap, valency, vapor, vortex, wedge.
Geology : (50)
accessory, birefringence, cast, cave, clay, cleavage, contour, desert, dike, dip, drift, erosion, eruption, extinction, fan, fault, flint, flood, flow, foliation, fracture glacier, gravel, ground, hill, inclusion, igneous, intercept, interpenetration, intrusion, lake, limestone, mud, ore, outcrop, outlier, overlap, plain, scarp, schist, sedimentary, shale, shore, sill, slate, strike, texture, twin, unconformity, valley.
Mathematics and Mechanics : (50)
acceleration, amplitude, approximation, arbitrary, circumference, congruent constant, cusp, damping, denominator, diameter, divisor, fraction, infinity, integer, intersection, inverse, lever, load, locus, magnitude, momentum, multiple, multiplication, node, numerator, oblique, prime, piston, probability, product, projectile, pulley, quantity, quotient, ratio, reciprocal, rectangle, recurring, reinforcement, resolution, subtraction, sum, term, total, triangle, unknown, variable, velocity, volume.
Biology : (50)
abdomen, appendage, bark, beak, bud, cartilage, cavity, claw, climber, creeper, degenerate domesticating, duct, ferment, fertilizing ,fiber, fin, fresh, germinating, gill, gland, hoof, host, inheritance, jaw, juice, kidney, liver, lung, mature metabolism, parent, petal, pollen, sac, scale, secretion, sepal, skull, slide, soil, stain, stalk, stamen, sucker, thorax, tissue, vascular, vestigial, wild.
Business has two defined specialties.
Trade : (50)
acceptance, address, agency, allowance, assets, assistant, average, bale, bankrupt, barrel, bill, broker, certificate, charge, claim, client, code, complaint, consignment, cost, court, customs, debit, deck, defect, delivery, export, gross, guarantee, hire, hold, import, investment, liability, license, load, loan, packing, pair, partner, purchase, reference, retail, sale, sample, show, sight, strike, supply, wholesale.
Economics : (50)
accident, arbitration, asset, average, bill, broker, budget, circulation, combine, consumer, conversion, correlation, cost, deflation, demand, deposit, discount, efficiency, effort, employer, experiment, factor, fatigue, guarantee, habit, index, inflation, investment, liability, loan, margin, monopoly, partner, pension, plan, population, purchase, rent, retail, sale, saving, security, service, share, speculation, statistics, stimulus, strike, supply, wholesale.
Sixteen words overlap Business and Economics :
asset, average, bill, broker, cost, guarantee, investment, liability, loan, partner, purchase, retail, sale, strike, supply, wholesale. These words might belong in an, as yet, undefined General Business 100 word list.
Words in money systems of different countries to be used in their English form.
Verse : (100)
angel, arrow, beast, blind, bow, breast, bride, brow, bud, calm, child, cross, crown, curse, dawn, delight, dew, dove, dream, eagle, eternal, evening, evil, fair, faith, fate, feast, flock, flow, fountain, fox, gentle, glad, glory, God, grace, grape, grief, guest, hawk, heaven, hell, hill, holy, honey, honor, image, ivory, joy, lamb, lark, life, lion, lord, meadow, melody, mercy, noble, passion, perfume, pity, pool, praise, prayer, pride, priest, purple, rapture, raven, robe, rock, rose, rush, search, shining, shower, sorrow, soul, spear, spirit, storm, stream, strength, sword, thief, tower, travel, valley, veil, vine, violet, virgin, virtue, vision, wandering, wealth, weariness, weeping, wisdom, wolf, wonder.
Bible : (50)
altar, ark, ass, ax, baptism, blessing, captain, cattle, circumcision, cock, deceit, disciple, envy, flesh, forgiveness, generation, herd, heritage, husband, kingdom, leaven, leper, locust, master, neighbor, oath, ox, people, pillar, preaching, prophet, revelation, righteousness, saint, salvation, savior, scribe, sin, spice, tent, testament, thorn, tribe, virgin, widow, wife, witness, world, worship, wrath, yoke.
About this Page: International Words -- Supplemental words of general international understanding. The learner is expected to already know the international words and numeric system. The learner is expected to learn one general area wordlist in his area of interest and one specialty wordlist within that general interest of 50 words. This makes 1000 words for each student, although the specialty interest words may be different for different learners.
Last updated July 25, 2001
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http://ogden.basic-english.org/word2000.html
OGDEN's BASIC ENGLISH
Basic English Combined Word Lists
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Basic English consists of 850 words that can express the meanings that can be found in a pocket dictionary. This is then expanded with 100 words of a general area of interest - science or business, and 50 words of a specialty within that general area. Thus any student's vocabulary is 1,000 words, plus certain prefixes and suffixes. A list of international words is assumed to be known. Compound words made up of Basic words, where the origin makes sense, are also allowed. As are new words made from adding the allowed endings, -er, -ed, -ing. Ogden provides a growth plan, the next step to the 2,000 word level. He considers the 2,000 word level to have achieved standard English. Therefore, this list approximates a minimum standard English wordlist whereafter the student can proceed on his own without difficulty.
This maximum Basic English word list must not be confused with the definition of Basic English as 850 words plus 150 specialty words. This maximum list is simply what the advanced student, with an interest in all general areas - not specialties - will know when transiting from the Basic English language to standard English language. It actually contains well over two thousand words. In fact, the student is expected to know one specialty (science, business, verse, etc.) topic with an additional 50 words that are not of interest to the general audience (chemistry, geology, economics, Bible, etc.).
VOA Special English has a 1,500 word vocabulary -- expanded with prefix and suffix and an addendum of science words. VOA Special English is used every day in international news broadcasts -- thus proving that a simple vocabulary is effective. As such, VOA Special English would be considered by Ogden to be a specialty area of international news. Ogden sought the advice of Radio Committees in different countries for a radio specialty word list and a preliminary list is included here. It consists of 248 words of general interest, not limited to news.
It will be interesting to compare VOA Special English with an approximately same sized lists of Basic English. Selection from the various Basic English lists to limit to 1,500 words will be somewhat arbitrary. Basic English 1500 will consist of the 850, the general topic areas, news parts of the radio specialty list, and enough of the Basic English "next step" list to make the 1,500 number. Direct comparison may not be totally appropriate, but it will be interesting to see what two lists of a 1,500 word level vocabulary (nominal) looks like. This page is preparatory to making a side by side listing.
A
Basic: a , able, about, account, acid, across, act, addition, adjustment, advertisement, agreement, after, again, against, air, all, almost, among, amount, amusement, angle, animal, answer, and, angry, ant, any, apparatus, apple, approval, arch, argument, arm, army, art, as, at, attack, attempt, attention, attraction, authority, automatic, awake .
Intl: alcohol , Algebra , aluminum , ammonia , anesthetic , April , Arithmetic , asbestos , August , autobus , automobile .
Next: abdomen , absence , absorption , acceleration , acceptance , accessory , accident , active , address , adjacent , adventure , advice , age , agent , agency , ago , allowance , along , also , alternative , always , ambition , amplitude , anchor , ankle , appendage , application , approximation , arbitration , arbitrary , arc , area , arrangement , ash , asset , assistant , average , awkward , axis .
Compound: afterthought, airplane, another, anybody, anyhow, anyone, anything, anywhere .
Endings: actor, acting .
B
Basic: baby, back, bad, bag, balance, ball, band, base, basin, basket, bath, be, beautiful, because, bed, bee, before, behavior, belief, bell, bent, berry, between, bird, birth, bit, bite, bitter, black, blade, blood, blow, blue, board, boat, body, bone, book, boot, boiling, bottle, box, boy, brain, brake, branch, brass, bread, breath, brick, bridge, bright, broken, brother, brown, brush, bucket, building, bulb, button, burn, burst, business, but, butter, by.
Intl: ballet , Bang , bank , bar , beef , beer , Biology , bomb .
Next: balcony , bale , bankrupt , bark , barrel , beak , beaker , beard , beat , behind , belt , bet , bill , birefringence , blame , blanket , both , bottom , brave , break, breakfast , breast , broker , bubble , bud , budget , buoyancy , bunch , burial , busy .
Compound: backbone, backwoods, become, bedroom, beeswax, birthday, birthright, blackberry, blackbird, blackboard, bloodvessel, bluebell, bookkeeper, brushwood, buttercup .
Endings: basing, based , builder , burner, burned, burning .
C
Basic: cake, camera, canvas, card, care, carriage, cart, cat, cause, certain, chain, chalk, chance, change, cheap, cheese, chemical, chest, chief, chin, church, circle, cloth, clean, clear, clock, cloud, coal, coat, cold, collar, color, comb, come, comfort, committee, common, company, comparison, competition, complete, complex condition, connection, conscious, control, cook, copper, copy, cord, cork, cotton, cough, country, cover, cow, crack, credit, crime, cruel, crush, cry, cup, current, curtain, curve, cushion, cut.
Intl: cafe , calendar , catarrh , centi- , champagne , chauffeur , chemist , Chemistry , check , chocolate , chorus , cigarette , circus , citron , club , coffee , cocktail , cognac , College , colony .
Next: calculation , call , capacity , capital , carpet , cartilage , case , cast , cave , cavity , cell , ceremony , certificate , chair , character, charge , child , chimney , china , choice , circulation , circuit , circumference , civilization , clay , claim , claw , cleavage , clever , client , climber, clip , code , coil , collision , collection , column , combination , combine , communications , complaint , component , compound , concept , concrete , conductor , congruent , conservation , consignment , constant , consumer , continuous , contour , convenient , conversion , cool , corner , correlation , corrosion , cost , court , creeper , crop , cross , cunning , cusp , customs .
Compound: cardboard, carefree, caretaker, clockwork, commonsense, copyright, cupboard .
Endings: carter, clothier, clothing , cooker, cooked, cooking , crying.
D
Basic: damage, danger, dark, daughter, day, dead, dear, death, debt, decision, deep, degree, delicate, dependent, design, desire, destruction, detail, development, different, digestion, direction, dirty, discovery, discussion, disease, disgust, distance, distribution, division, do, dog, door, down, doubt, drain, drawer, dress, drink, driving, drop, dry, dust.
Intl: dance , December , deci- , degree , Dominion , dynamite .
Next: damping , date , debit , deck , decrease , defect , deficiency , deflation, degenerate , delivery , demand , denominator , department , desert , density , deposit , determining, dew , diameter , difference , difficulty , drift, dike , dilution, dinner , dip , direct, disappearance , discharge, discount, disgrace , dislike , dissipation, disturbance, ditch , dive , divisor , divorce , doll , domesticating , dreadful , dream , duct , dull , duty .
Compound: daylight, downfall .
Endings: dancer, dancing (to) , designer, dressing (up), driver , dropped, dropper , duster.
E
Basic: ear, early, earth, east, edge, education, effect, egg, elastic, electric, end, engine, enough, equal, error, even, event, ever, every, example, exchange, existence, expansion, experience, expert, eye.
Intl: eight , electricity , eleven , Embassy , Empire , encyclopedia , engineer .
Next: each , easy , economy , efficiency , effort , either , elimination , employer , empty , enemy , envelope , environment, envy , equation , erosion, eruption , evaporation , evening , exact , excitement , experiment, exercise , explanation , explosion , export , expression , extinction , eyebrow , eyelash .
Compound: ear-ring, earthwork, evergreen, everybody, everyday, everyone, everything, everywhere, eyeball .
F
Basic: face , fact , fall , false , family , far , farm , fat , father , fear , feather , feeble , feeling , female , fertile , fiction , field , fight , finger , fire , first , fish , fixed , flag , flame , flat , flight , floor , flower , fly , fold , food , foolish , foot , for , force , fork , form , forward , fowl , frame , free , frequent , friend , from , front , fruit , full , future .
Intl: February , fifteen , fifth , fifty , five , four , fourteen , fourth , forty , Friday .
Next: factor , failure , fair , famous , fan , fastening , fault, ferment, fertilizing , fever , fiber , figure , fin , financial , flash , flask , flesh , flood , flour , focus , forecast , forehead , foreign , forgiveness , fraction , fracture , fresh , friction , flint , flood , flow , foliation , frost , frozen , fume , funnel , funny , fur , furnace , furniture , fusion .
Compound: fatherland, fingerprint, firearm, fire-engine, firefly, fireman, fireplace, firework, first-rate, football, footlights, footman, footnote, footprint, footstep .
Endings: farmer , fisher(man) , folder , fired, firing.
G
Basic: garden , general , get , girl , give , glass , glove , go , goat , gold , good , government , grain , grass , great , green , grey/gray , grip , group , growth , guide , gun .
Intl: gas , Geography , Geology , Geometry , gram , glycerin .
Next: gate , generation , germ , germinating , gill, glacier , gland, god , grand , grateful , grating , gravel , grease , grief , grocery , groove , gross, ground , guard , guarantee, guess , gum .
Compound: gasworks, goldfish, goodlooking, good-morning, goodnight, gunboat, gun-carriage, gunmetal, gunpowder .
Endings: gardener .
H
Basic: hair , hammer , hand , hanging , happy , harbor , hard , harmony , hat , hate , have , he , head , healthy , hearing , heart , heat , help , here , high , history , hole , hollow , hook , hope , horn , horse , hospital , hour , house , how , humor .
Intl: half , hiss , hotel , hundred , hyena , hygiene , hysteria .
Next: habit , handkerchief , handle , heavy , hedge , hill , hinge, hire , hold , holiday , home , honest , honey , hoof , host , human , hunt , hurry , hurt , husband .
Compound: handbook, handwriting, headdress, headland, headstone, headway, hereafter, herewith, highlands, highway, himself, horseplay, horsepower, hourglass, houseboat, housekeeper, however .
Endings: hanger, heater, heated, heating .
I
Basic: I , ice , idea , if , ill , important , impulse , in , increase , industry , ink , insect , instrument , insurance , interest , invention , iron , island .
Intl: Imperial , inferno , influenza , international .
Next: igneous , image , imagination , import , impurity , inclusion , index , individual , inflation , infinity , inheritance , innocent , institution , insulator , integer , intelligent , intercept, interpretation , intersection, intrusion , investigation , investment , inverse , invitation .
Compound: inasmuch, income, indoors, inland, inlet, input, inside, instep, into, itself .
J
Basic: jelly , jewel , join , journey , judge , jump .
Intl: January , jazz , July , June .
Next: jam , jaw , jealous , jerk , joint , jug , juice , jury , justice .
Endings: jeweler , joiner .
K
Basic: keep , kettle , key , kick , kind , kiss , knee , knife , knot , knowledge .
Intl: kilo- , King .
Next: kennel , kidney , kitchen , knock
Endings: keeper .
L
Basic: land , language , last , late , laugh , law , lead , leaf , learning , least, leather , leg , less, left , let , letter , level , library , lift , light , like , limit , line , linen , lip , liquid , list , little , living , lock , long , loose , loss , loud , love , low .
Intl: latitude , lava , liter , liqueur , longitude .
Next: lace , lag , lake , lame , lamp , large , latitude, lawyer , layer, lazy , lecture , legal , length, lens , lesson , lever , lever , liability , license , lid , life , lime , limestone, link, liver , load , local , load , loan, locus , look , longitude , luck , lump , lunch , lung .
Compound: landmark, landslip, lighthouse, looking-glass .
Endings: laughing (at), learner , locker, locking (up).
M
Basic: machine , man , manager , make , male , map , mark , market , married , match , material , mass , may , meal , measure , meat , medical , meeting , memory , metal , middle , military , milk , mind , mine , minute , mist , mixed , money , monkey , month , moon , more, morning , most , mother , motion , mountain , mouth , move , much , muscle , music .
Intl: macaroni , madam , magnetic , malaria , mania , March , Mathematics , May , meter , meow , micro- , microscope , milli- , million , minute , Monday , Museum .
Next: magic , magnitude, manner , many , marble , margin , marriage , mast , mattress , mature , mean , meaning , medicine , medium, melt , member , mess , message , metabolism , mill , mineral , mixture , model , modern , modest , momentum , monopoly , mood , moral , moustache , mud , multiple , multiplication , murder .
Compound: manhole, myself .
Endings: marked , miner .
N
Basic: nail , name , narrow , nation , natural , near , necessary , neck , need , needle , nerve , net , new , news , night , no , noise , normal , north , nose , not , note , now , number , nut .
Intl: neutron , nickel , nicotine , nine , November .
Next: nasty , nature , navy , neat , neglect , neighbor , nest , next , nice , node , nostril , nucleus , numerator, nurse .
Compound: network, newspaper, nobody, nothing, nowhere .
Endings: noted .
O
Basic: observation , of , off , offer , office , oil , old , on , only , open , operation , opinion , opposite , or , orange , order , organization , ornament , other , out , oven , over , owner.
Intl: October , olive , once , omelet , one , opera , opium , orchestra , organism .
Next: obedient , officer , orchestra , ore , organ , origin , outcrop , outlier , overlap , oval , own , oxidation .
Compound: offspring, oncoming, oneself, onlooker, onto, outburst, outcome, outcry, outdoor, outgoing, outhouse, outlaw, outlet, outline, outlook, output, outside, outskirts, outstretched, overacting, overall overbalancing, overbearing, overcoat, overcome, overdo, overdressed, overfull, overhanging, overhead, overland, overleaf, overloud, overseas, overseer, overshoe, overstatement, overtake, overtaxed, overtime overturned, overuse, overvalued, overweight, overworking .
P
Basic: page , pain , paint , paper , parallel , parcel , part , past , paste , payment , peace , pen , pencil , person , physical , picture , pig , pin , pipe , place , plane , plant , plate , play , please , pleasure , plough/plow , pocket , point , poison , polish , political , poor , porter , position , possible , pot , potato , powder , power , present , price , print , prison , private , probable , process , produce , profit , property , prose , protest , public , pull , pump , punishment , purpose , push , put .
Intl: pajamas , paraffin , paradise , park , passport , patent , penguin , petroleum , phonograph , Physics , Physiology , piano , platinum , police , post , potash , President , Prince , Princess , program , propaganda , Psychology , Purr , pyramid .
Next: packing , pad , pair , pan , paragraph , parent , particle , partner , party , passage , path , patience , pedal , pendulum , pension , people , perfect , petal , piston , plain, plan, plaster , plug , poetry , pollen , pool , population , porcelain , practice , praise , prayer , pressure , prick , priest, prime , probability , product , progress , projectile , projection , promise , proof , proud , pulley , pupil , purchase , pure .
Compound: pincushion, plaything , policeman, postman, postmark, postmaster, postoffice.
Endings: painter, painting , parting , playing, played , pleased (with) , pointer, pointing (at) , potter , printer , prisoner , producer,
Q
Basic: quality , question , quick , quiet , quite .
Intl: Quack , quarter , Queen , quinine .
Next: quantity , quotient.
R
Basic: rail , rain , range , rat , rate , ray , reaction , red , reading , ready , reason , receipt , record , regret , regular , relation , religion , representative , request , respect , responsible , rest , reward , rhythm , rice , right , ring , river , road , rod , roll , roof , room , root , rough , round , rub , rule , run .
Intl: radio , radium , referendum , restaurant , rheumatism , Royal , rum .
Next: race , radiation, ratio, reagent , real , receiver , reciprocal , rectangle , recurring , reference , reflux , reinforcement , relative , remark , remedy , rent , repair , reproduction , repulsion , resistance , residue , resolution , result , retail , revenge , reversible , rich , rigidity , rise, rival , rock , rot , rotation , rude , rust .
Compound: runaway .
Endings: raining, reader, reading , roller , ruler , rubber ,
S
Basic: sad , safe , sail , salt , same , sand , say , scale , school , science , scissors , screw , sea , seat , second , secret , secretary , see , seed , selection , self , send , seem , sense , separate , serious , servant , sex , shade , shake , shame , sharp , sheep , shelf , ship , shirt , shock , shoe , short , shut , side , sign , silk , silver , simple , sister , size , skin , skirt , sky , sleep , slip , slope , slow , small , smash , smell , smile , smoke , smooth , snake , sneeze , snow , so , soap , society , sock , soft , solid , some , son , song , sort , sound , soup , south , space , spade , special , sponge , spoon , spring , square , stage , stamp , star , start , statement , station , steam , steel , stem , step , stick , sticky , stiff , still , stitch , stocking , stomach , stone , stop , store , story , straight , strange , street , strong , structure , substance , such , sudden , sugar , suggestion , summer , sun , support , surprise , sweet , swim , system .
Intl: salad , sardine , Saturday , second , September , serum , seven , sir , six , sixteen , sport , Sunday .
Next: sac , sale , sample , satisfaction , saturated , saucer , saving, scale , scarp , schist , scratch , screen , seal , search , security , secretion , section, sedimentary , selfish , sensitivity , sentence , sepal , service , set , shadow , shale, share, shave , shear, sheet , shell , shore , shoulder , show , sight , sill , similarity , since , skull , slate , sleeve , slide , social , soil, soldier , solution , solvent , sorry , spark , specialization, specimen , speculation , spirit , spit , splash , spot , stable , stain , stair , stalk , stamen , statistics , steady , stimulus, storm , strain , straw , stream , strength , stress , strike , string , study , subject , substitution , subtraction, success , successive, sucker , sum , supply , surface , surgeon , suspension, suspicious , swelling, swing , switch , sympathetic .
Compound: seaman, secondhand, shorthand, sideboard, sidewalk, somebody, someday, somehow, someone, something, sometime, somewhat, somewhere, suchlike, sunburn, sunlight, sunshade, sweetheart .
Endings: sailor , shocking, shocked, snowing , steamer, stopper, stopping (up) , stretcher,.
T
Basic: table , tail , take , talk , tall , taste , tax , teaching , tendency , test , than , that , the , then , theory , there , thick , thin , thing , this , though , thought , thread , throat , through , thumb , thunder , ticket , tight , tired , till , time , tin , to , toe , together , tomorrow , tongue , tooth , top , touch , town , trade , train , transport , tray , tree , trick , trousers , true , trouble , turn , twist .
Intl: tapioca , taxi , tea , telegram , telephone , ten , terrace , theater , thermometer , third , thirteen , thirty , thousand , three , Thursday , toast , tobacco , torpedo , Tuesday , turbine , twenty-one , twelve , twenty , twice , two .
Next: tailor , tame , tap , tear , tent , term, texture , thickness , thief , thimble , thorax , threat , thrust , tide , tie , tissue , tongs , too , total , towel , tower , traffic , tragedy , transmission , transparent , trap , travel , treatment , triangle , truck , tube , tune , tunnel , twin , typist .
Compound: today, tonight, tradesman .
Endings: talking (of), teacher , touching (up) , trader , trainer , training, troubling, troubled , turning (over) .
U
Basic: umbrella , under , unit , up, use .
Intl: university .
Next: ugly , unconformity , understanding , universe , unknown .
Compound: underclothing, undercooked, undergo, undergrowth, undermined, undersigned, undersized, understatement, undertake, undervalued, undo, upkeep, uplift, upon, upright, uptake .
Endings: used (to) .
V
Basic: value , verse , very , vessel , view , violent , voice .
Intl: vanilla , violin , visa , vitamin , vodka , volt .
Next: valency , valley , valve , vapor , variable, vascular, vegetable , velocity , vestigial , victim , victory , volume , vortex, vote .
Compound: viewpoint .
W
Basic: walk , wall , waiting , war , warm , wash , waste , watch , water , wave , wax , way , weather , week , weight , well , west , wet , wheel , when , where , while , whip , whistle , white , who , why , wide , will , wind , window , wine , wing , winter , wire , wise , with , woman , wood , wool , word , work , worm , wound , writing , wrong .
Intl: Wednesday , whisky .
Next: weak , wedge , welcome , whether , wholesale , widow , wife , wild , world , wreck , wrist .
Compound: waterfall, weekend, well-being, well-off, whatever, whenever, whereas, whereby, wherever, whichever, whitewash, whoever, windpipe, within, without, woodwork, workhouse .
Endings: waiter , worker, working (on, out, up), writer , waiting, wasted .
X , Y , Z
Basic: year , yellow , yes , yesterday , you , young .
Intl: zebra , zinc , Zoology .
Next: yawn.
Compound: x-ray, yearbook, yourself , zookeeper 1.
About this Page : word2000.html -- Ogden's Basic English comprising all word lists; except not the specialty word lists (only one of which a learner is expected to know) and not the "next 150 words of animals, plants, and foods" (not found yet, but will be included). Created for comparison with VOA Special English.
Last updated on October 10, 2002 - add comparatives : more , most, least, less .
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