The Center for AAC and Autism

Common Words

View/Download .pdf

Excerpts from "Language Function and Early Generative Language"

Banajee, M., DiCarlo, C., & Buras-Stricklin, S. (2003). Core Vocabulary Determination for Toddlers, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2, 67 - 73.

© VanTatenhove, 2005

Top Words Used by Toddlers

  1. a
  2. all done/finished
  3. go
  4. help
  5. here
  6. I
  7. in
  8. is
  9. it
  10. mine
  11. more
  12. my
  13. no
  14. off
  15. on
  16. out
  17. some
  18. that
  19. the
  20. want
  21. what
  22. yes/yeah
  23. you

Clinical Application

First 8 Words:
  1. all done
  2. help
  3. want
  4. mine
  5. more
  6. stop
  7. that
  8. what
First 15 Words:
  1. all done
  2. go
  3. help
  4. here
  5. I
  6. it
  7. like
  8. mine
  9. more
  10. stop
  11. that
  12. want
  13. what
  14. you
First 30 Words:
  1. again
  2. all done
  3. away
  4. big
  5. do
  6. down
  7. get
  8. go
  9. help
  10. here
  11. I
  12. in
  13. it
  14. like
  15. little
  16. mine
  17. more
  18. my
  19. off
  20. on
  21. out
  22. put
  23. some
  24. stop
  25. that
  26. there
  27. up
  28. want
  29. what
  30. you
First 50 Words
  1. again
  2. all
  3. all done
  4. away
  5. bad
  6. big
  7. come
  8. do
  9. don�t
  10. down
  11. drink
  12. eat
  13. feel
  14. get
  15. go
  16. good
  17. happy
  18. help
  19. here
  20. I
  21. in
  22. it
  23. like
  24. little
  25. make
  26. me
  27. mine
  28. more
  29. my
  30. not
  31. now
  32. off
  33. on
  34. out
  35. play
  36. put
  37. read
  38. sad
  39. some
  40. stop
  41. tell
  42. that
  43. there
  44. turn
  45. up
  46. want
  47. what
  48. where
  49. who
  50. why
  51. you
Adding to the Top 50
  1. +ed
  2. +ing
  3. +s
  4. after
  5. almost
  6. another
  7. any
  8. ask
  9. be
  10. before
  11. body
  12. can
  13. cold
  14. color
  15. did
  16. different
  17. dress
  18. fall
  19. fast
  20. favorite
  21. for
  22. fun
  23. give
  24. goodbye
  25. guess
  26. have
  27. he
  28. hear
  29. hi
  30. hot
  31. how
  32. hungry
  33. idea
  34. is
  35. job
  36. know
  37. later
  38. leave
  39. let
  40. listen
  41. live
  42. lose
  43. love
  44. maybe
  45. much
  46. myself
  47. name
  48. need
  49. nice
  50. of
  51. one
  52. other
  53. over
  54. place
  55. please
  56. pretty
  57. problem
  58. ready
  59. ride
  60. same
  61. say
  62. she
  63. sick
  64. silly
  65. sing
  66. sit
  67. sleep
  68. slow
  69. sorry
  70. start
  71. surprise
  72. swim
  73. take
  74. thank you
  75. these
  76. they
  77. think
  78. thirsty
  79. those
  80. time
  81. tired
  82. together
  83. try
  84. under
  85. very
  86. walk
  87. way
  88. we
  89. when
  90. win
  91. with
  92. work
  93. write
  94. wrong
  95. your
Adding Words to Get to 300+ Core Words
  1. Add all the pronouns.
  2. Add more adjectives and adverbs
  3. Expand verbs, with tense variation