Flash cards
Spaced repetition tuned to real word frequency. You start with the words people actually say the most, and every review lands right before you'd forget.
Learn a language inweeks, not months.
The most frequent 1000 words cover most of everyday speech. First 1000 Words teaches you the words you’ll actually use.
Why frequency first
Learn words you’ll use.
“The bear eats salt.”
Classic textbook filler
Cute sentence. But when did you last need it? Most courses drown you in vocabulary you’ll never reach for.
water · hello · where · thanks
Your first 1000 words
Linguists have ranked every word by how often it’s really used. Learn the top 1000 and you understand most of what you hear on the street.
The 1000-word effect
The biggest gains come first
Research helps explain why common words are a good place to start. In a study of English, vocabulary researcher Paul Nation found that the most frequent word families accounted for a large share of the words in spoken and written texts. Less frequent vocabulary added progressively smaller amounts of coverage.
For First 1000 Words, the takeaway is simple: start with common words, then build from there.
Source: Nation, P. (2006). How large a vocabulary is needed for reading and listening?
Illustrative curve, not measured data.
What’s inside
Make every word stick.
Phrases
Learn high-value phrases that adapt to your vocabulary. Keep the structure and swap in words you already know to create useful phrases again and again.
Word packs
Add optional collections for studying abroad, a diplomatic posting, or a military mission. Your first 1000 words, tailored to you.
Pick your adventure
One method. Six languages.
Japanese
Spanish
French
Italian
Portuguese
Norwegian