New Testament Vocabulary by Frequency

The frequency values are taken from Trenchard’s Complete Vocabulary Guide to the Greek New Testament. Bruce Metzger also has a study guide that lists New Testament vocabulary by frequency. If you do not see a Greek letters properly, please download a Unicode font with extended Greek characters. Bear in mind that the simple gloss column is not a substitute for a lexicon. The simple glosses listed are not comprehensive for the Greek vocabulary. The gloss is simply a frequent translation of the Greek vocabulary word.

The vocabulary on this page only includes words that occur more than fifty times in the New Testament.

  1. Vocabulary occurring more than 900 times
  2. Vocabulary occurring more than 450 times
  3. Vocabulary occurring more than 250 times
  4. Vocabulary occurring more than 200 times
  5. Vocabulary occurring more than 160 times
  6. Vocabulary occurring more than 140 times
  7. Vocabulary occurring more than 120 times
  8. Vocabulary occurring more than 110 times
  9. Vocabulary occurring more than 100 times

1. Occurring more than 900 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
ὁ, ἡ,τό 19867 the
καί 9161 and, even, also
αὐτός, -ή, -ό 5597 he, she, it (self, same) automatic
σύ;ὑμεῖς 2907 you (sg.); you (pl.)
δέ 2792 but, and
ἐν 2752 in, on, by
ἐγώ;ἡμεῖς 2666 I; we ego
εἰμί 2462 I am
λέγω 2354 I say, speak
εἰς 1767 into
οὐ 1606 not
ὅς, ἥ,ὅ 1398 who, which
οὗτος, αὕτη,τοῦτο 1387 this
θεός, οῦ,ὁ 1317 God, god theology
ὅτι 1296 because; that
πᾶς, πᾶσα,πᾶν 1243 all, every, each
μή 1042 not
γάρ 1041 for, so, then (postpositive)
Ιησοῦς, οῦ,ὁ 917 Jesus, Joshua
ἐκ 914 from, out of, of, by

2. Occurring more than 450 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
ἐπί 890 (+gen.-on, over); (+dat.- on, at); (+acc.- on, to, for)
κύριος 717 lord, Lord
ἔχω 708 I have
πρός 700 (+gen.- for); (+dat.- at); (+acc.- to, against)
γίνομαι 669 I become; am
διά 667 (+gen.- through); (+acc.- because of)
ἵνα 663 in order that, that
ἀπό 646 (+gen.- from)
ἀλλά 638 but
ἔρχομαι 634 I come, go
ποιέω 568 I do, make onomatopoeia
τίς,τί 556 who? which?
ἄνθρωπος, ου,ὁ 550 man
Χριστός, οῦ,ὁ 529 Christ
τις,τι 525 someone, anyone; something
ὡς 504 as
εἰ 502 if
οὖν 499 therefore
κατά 473 (+gen.- down from, against); (+acc.- according to)
μετά 469 (+gen.- with); (+acc.- after)
ὁράω 454 I see

3. Occurring more than 250 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
ἀκούω 428 I hear acoustics
πολύς, πολλή,πολύ 416 many; much poly-
δίδωμι 415 I give
πατήρ, πατρός,ὁ 413 father patriot
ἡμέρα, ας,ἡ 389 day
πνεῦμα, -ατος,τό 379 wind, spirit pneumatic
υἱός, οῦ,ὁ 377 son
ἐάν 351 if (ever), when (ever)
εἷς, μία,ἕν 345 one
ἀδελφός 343 brother Philadelphia
ἤ 343 or
περί 333 (+gen.- about); (+acc.- near)
λόγος, ου,ὁ 330 word, matter
ἑαυτοῦ, η῿ς,οῦ 319 himself; herself; itself
οἶδα 318 I know
λαλέω 296 I speak, say
οὐρανός, οῦ,ὁ 273 heaven, sky
ἐκεῖνος, η,ο 265 that
μαθητής, οῦ,ὁ 261 disciple, student math
λαμβάνω 258 I take, receive lymphoid
γῆ, γῆς,ἡ 250 land, earth geography

4. Occurring more than 200 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
μέγας, μεγάλη,μέγα 243 large, great
πίστις, εως,ἡ 243 faith, trust
πιστεύω 241 I believe (in)
οὐδείς, οὐδεμία,οὐδέν 234 no one; nothing
ἅγιος, α,ον 233 holy
ἀποκρίνομαι 231 I answer
ὄνομα, ατος,τό 231 name onomatopoeia
γινώσκω 222 I know
ὑπό 220 (+gen.- by); (+acc.- under) hypoallergenic
ἐξέρχομαι 218 I go out
ἀνήρ, ἀνδρος,ὁ 216 man android
γυνή, αικός,ἡ 215 woman
τέ 215 and, so
δύναμαι 210 I am able
θέλω 208 I want
οὕτως 208 thus, thusly
ἰδού 200 look!, Behold! (Imperative ofεἶδον video

5. Occurring more than 160 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
Ιουδαῖος, α,ον 195 Jewish
εἰσέρχομαι 194 enter
νόμος, ου,ὁ 194 law
παρά 194 (+gen.- from); (+dat.- with, beside); (+acc.- other than) parallel
γράφω 191 I write
κόσμος, ου,ὁ 186 world
καθώς 182 just as
μέν 179 on the one hand
χείρ, χειρός,ἡ 177 hand
εὑρίσκω 176 I find eureka!
ἄγγελος, ου,ὁ 175 messenger, angel angel
ὄχλος, ου,ὁ 175 crowd ochlocracy (mob-rule)
ἁμαρτία 173 sin
ἔργον, ου,τό 169 work ergonomics
ἄν 166 conditional particle (would, might)
δόξα 166 glory
βασιλεία, ας,ἡ 162 kingdom basilica
ἔθνος, ους,τό 162 nation; Gentiles
πόλις, εως,ἡ 162 city metropolis
τότε 160 then

6. Occurring more than 140 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
ἐσθίω 158 I eat
Παῦλος, ου,ὁ 158 Paul
καρδία, ας,ἡ 156 heart
Πέτρος, ου,ὁ 156 Peter
ἄλλος, η,ο 155 other
ἵστημι 155 I set
πρῶτος, η,ον 155 first
χάρις, ιτος,ἡ 155 grace
ὅστις, ἥτις,ὅτι 153 whoever, everyone
πορεύομαι 153 I go
ὑπέρ 150 (+gen.- in behalf of); (+acc.- above)
καλέω 148 I call
νῦν 147 now
σάρξ, σαρκός,ἡ 147 flesh
ἕως 146 until
ἐγείρω 144 I raise
προφήτης, ου,ὁ 144 prophet
ἀγαπάω 143 I love
ἀφίημι 143 I let go, divorce, forgive
οὐδέ 143 and not; neither
λαός, οῦ,ὁ 142 people
σῶμα, ατος,τό 142 body
πάλιν 141 again
ζάω 140 I live

7. Occurring more than 120 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
φωνή, ῆς,ἡ 139 sound phonics
δύο 135 two
ζωή, ῆς,ἡ 135 life life
Ιωάννης, ου,ὁ 135 John
βλέπω 133 I see
ἀποστέλλω 132 I send apostle
ἀμήν 129 amen
νεκρός, ά,όν 128 dead necromancy
σύν 128 (+dat.- with) symphony
δοῦλος, ου,ὁ 124 slave
ὅταν 123 whenever
αἰών, ῶνος,ὁ 122 age eon
ἀρχιερεύς, έως,ὁ 122 high priest
βάλλω 122 I throw
θάνατος, ου,ὁ 120 death euthanasia

8. Occurring more than 110 times in the NT

Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
δύναμις, εως,ἡ 119 power, ability
παραδίδωμι 119 I entrust, hand over
μένω 118 I remain
ἀπέρχομαι 117 I depart, go away
ζητέω 117 I seek
ἀγάπη, ης,ἠ 116 love
βασιλεύς, έως,ὁ 115 king
ἐκκλησία, ας,ἡ 114 assembly, church
ἴδιος, α,ον 114 one’s own
κρίνω 114 I judge
μόνος, η,ον 114 alone
οἶκος, ου,ὁ 114 house
ἀποθνῄσκω 111 I die
ὅσος, η,ον 110 as much, how much, as many

9. Occurring more than 100 times in the NT

Occurring more than 100 times in the NT
Greek Vocabulary Occurrences Simple Gloss Derivatives
ἀλήθεια, ας,ἡ 109 truth
μέλλω 109 I am about, intend
ὅλος, η,ον 109 whole, entire
παρακαλέω 109 I call, beseech
ἀνίστημι 108 I raise, stand up
σῴζω 106 I save
ὥρα, ας,ἡ 106 hour
ἐκεῖ 105 there
ὅτε 103 when
πῶς 103 how
ψυχή, ῆς,ἡ 103 soul, life psychology
ἀγαθός, ή,όν 102 good
ἐξουσία, ας,ἡ 102 authority
αἴρω 101 I take up, away
δεῖ 101 it is necessary
ὁδός, οῦ,ἡ 100 way, road
ἀλλήλων 100 each other
καλός, ή,όν 100 good
ὀφθαλμός, οῦ,ὁ 100 eye, sight
τίθημι 100 I put, place