Ogden's Basic English Word Categories

Some Word Categories by Jim

• Color / Visual see look color dark light beautiful shade. black blue brown clear gray green orange red yellow white. Nouns sometimes used: brass copper gold silver sky Examples

• Direction about across after against among at between by in with through forward here over under up down on off with direction distance. north south east west left right front back high low far near.

• Time about after at before between till while when again ever now still tomorrow yesterday second minute day week month year fall spring winter summer night time clock first second last morning night early late slow quick

• Animals animal ant bee bird cat cow dog egg fish fly fowl goat horse insect monkey pig rat sheep snake sponge worm silk worm

• Food and Drink apple berry bread butter cake cheese drink egg food fish fruit grain meal meat milk nut orange potato rice root salt seed soup sugar water wine International : alcohol , beef , beer , champagne, chocolate, citron , coffee , cocktail , cognac , liqueur , macaroni , olive , omelet , rum , salad , sardine , tapioca , tea , toast , vanila , vodka , whisky .

• Household building bread butter canvas cloth coal cook drink family food linen meal meat milk money play rice room silk sleep soup step sugar vessel walk wash wine wool basket bath bed bell blade board book boot bottle box brick brush bucket bulb button cake camera card cart carriage chain cheese chest clock coat collar comb cord cup curtain cushion door drain drawer dress flag floor fork frame glove hat jewel kettle key knife knot lock map match nail needle oven parcel pen pencil picture pin pipe plate plow pot pump rail ring rod roof screw shelf shirt shoe skirt sock spade sponge spoon stamp stick stocking table thread ticket tray trousers umbrella wall watch wheel whip whistle window wire.

• Clothes : boot button coat collar dress glove hat shirt shoe silk skirt sock stocking trousers umbrella watch.

• Tools : band blade brush bucket cord gun hammer hook knife knot nail needle pin pipe plow pump ring rod screw spade wheel wire.

• Buildings : bridge building church hospital house library prison school structure station store street town train wall.

• People : baby boy daughter family father female friend girl male man married mother person relation self sister son woman. chief cook manager porter secretary servant. By adding to nouns -er : worker, roofer, etc.

• Body Parts : arm body bone brain chest chin ear eye face fat feather finger foot hair hand head heart horn knee leg lip mind mouth muscle neck nerve nose skin stomach tail throat thumb toe tongue tooth wing. cough dead death disease feeble ill pain sneeze.

• Materials : brass copper glass gold iron leather material metal silver steel tin wood. brick canvas cloth coal linen silk tree wool.

• Transport : boat bridge carriage flight harbor sail sea train transport plane rail river road wheel whistle.

• Business / Industry agreement business committee company competition credit debt development distribution division exchange expansion growth harbor industry instrument interest invention market manager money office oil operation owner payment plant produce profit system trade transport

• Education art authority chalk development direction education encylopedia growth history ink language law learning letter music news paint paper paste pen pencil reading reason religion rule say science school scissors square stamp talk teaching test theory thought word writing

• Political act agreement authority committee control country crime debt decision discussion distribution division education government history judge language law meeting nation office order organization political power property protest punishment record religion representative secretary society tax

• War army attack boat company control country crush damage death destruction division earth effect event fight fire flame general gun light force harbor land map military operation order organization peace plane position powder power push range river road sea smash support vessel war

• Agriculture / Nature air animal cheese cloud cotton dust earth field farm fruit garden grain growth ice land leaf leather meat milk mist moon mountain natural nut plant plow price process produce rain range rice river road salt sand seed sky slope snow spade star stream sun thunder water weather wind.

• Mathematics Algebra : addition, amount, division, greater, less, number, power, product, root, times Geometry : angle, arch, ball, circle, cord, curve, line, plane, point, square, solid, square Back to : Ogden's Basic English home page. See a developmental version of this page with pictures. About this Page : wordcat.html -- A summary of Ogden's Basic English Words in Categories. Created on January 1, 1996. Last changed 9Apr05 to add to Education Contact us at E-mail URL: http://ogden.basic-english.org/wordcat.html Play : These categories were created in about three hours as an exercise to find what was available for topics of interest or that suggested themselves. Trying to put the words into categories is endless because the whole language will be used for every topic. Ogden knew what meanings he intended for each word: "General" no doubt was to mean non-specific. Can it also be used for army General? I am impressed with the richness in language that can come from a small word selection.