Suppose I'm trying to computer-solve a puzzle, or computer-create a puzzle, where "every word in the whatever is a common English word." For example, intuitively, BUNNY
is a common English word, TAPIR
is borderline, and EURYPTERID
is definitely not a common English word.
Where would I find a computer-readable wordlist of "common English words" in this sense?
I'm aware of the following resources and their disadvantages:
The SOWPODS list (e.g. here). Major disadvantage: It contains obscure words such as
AALII
."Basic English" lists (e.g. here). Major disadvantages: They lack many common words such as
MOUSE
. They almost always lack declensions, e.g. the linked list containsCAT
but notCATS
.Crossword wordlists (e.g. here). Major disadvantages: They contain abbreviations such as
SSGT
, multi-word phrases such asATONCE
, and proper nouns such asCYRUS
.The "Up Goer Five" wordlist, constructed from one of Wiktionary's computer-generated frequency lists plus the Automatically Generated Inflection Database (AGID). Major disadvantages: It lacks many common words such as
MOUSE
. Because it blindly uses AGID, it includes some surprising declensions, such asCATTED
andCATTING
.