WordsRated’s analysis of over 172,000 English words in our database reveals the frequency of each letter in the English language and how these frequencies vary. Vowels generally appear more frequently in words than consonants, though several consonants are also commonly used.
Letter frequency
What is the most used letter in the alphabet?
- An analysis of WordsRated’s complete wordlists reveals that the most common letter in the English alphabet is “E.”
- The letter “E” appears in 11.51% of all words analyzed.
- Following “E,” the letter “S” ranks second at 9.52%, and “I” ranks third at 9.01%.
What is the least used letter in the alphabet?
- Our research also indicates that the letter “J” is the least common letter in the English alphabet, appearing in just 0.16% of the words analyzed.
- Other low-frequency letters include “Q,” which also has a frequency of 0.16%, and “X,” which appears 0.29% of the time.
(*Each instance of a letter within a word is counted in the analysis.)
| Letter | Frequency | Rank |
| A | 7.57% | #4 |
| B | 1.84% | #17 |
| C | 4.09% | #10 |
| D | 3.38% | #11 |
| E | 11.51% | #1 |
| F | 1.23% | #19 |
| G | 2.70% | #15 |
| H | 2.32% | #16 |
| I | 9.01% | #3 |
| J | 0.16% | #26 |
| K | 0.85% | #21 |
| L | 5.31% | #9 |
| M | 2.84% | #14 |
| N | 6.85% | #6 |
| O | 6.59% | #8 |
| P | 2.94% | #13 |
| Q | 0.16% | #25 |
| R | 7.07% | #5 |
| S | 9.52% | #2 |
| T | 6.68% | #7 |
| U | 3.27% | #12 |
| V | 0.98% | #20 |
| W | 0.74% | #22 |
| X | 0.29% | #24 |
| Y | 1.63% | #18 |
| Z | 0.47% | #23 |
(totals contain rounding differences)
A graph is given below to show the most common letters by frequency:
A graph is given below to show the least common letters by frequency:
Most common letters in 5-letter words
- Our analysis of over 8,600 five-letter words reveals that the most common letters, in order of frequency, are:
- “S,” “E,” “A,” “O,” “R,” “I,” “L,” “T,” “N,” and “D.”
- Consonants account for 6 of the 10 most common letters in these words, while vowels make up the remaining 4.
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| Letter | Frequency | Rank |
| A | 8.90% | #3 |
| B | 2.40% | #18 |
| C | 3.34% | #12 |
| D | 3.88% | #10 |
| E | 10.32% | #2 |
| F | 1.78% | #20 |
| G | 2.46% | #17 |
| H | 2.73% | #16 |
| I | 5.90% | #6 |
| J | 0.40% | #25 |
| K | 2.12% | #19 |
| L | 5.49% | #7 |
| M | 2.99% | #15 |
| N | 4.53% | #9 |
| O | 6.65% | #4 |
| P | 3.13% | #13 |
| Q | 0.17% | #26 |
| R | 6.56% | #5 |
| S | 10.45% | #1 |
| T | 5.24% | #8 |
| U | 3.78% | #11 |
| V | 1.08% | #22 |
| W | 1.57% | #21 |
| X | 0.47% | #24 |
| Y | 3.12% | #14 |
| Z | 0.53% | #23 |
A graph is given below to show the most common letters in 5-letter words by their frequency:
Letter frequency by position in 5-letter words
- Our study revealed that in 5-letter words, the letter “S” is most likely to start or end a word.
- The letter “A” is most commonly found in the second position or in the middle of a word. Meanwhile, “E” is the most frequent letter in the fourth position.
- Since we used a different word bank, these positional frequencies differ from those found in the game of Wordle.
| Letter | 1st position | 2nd position | 3rd position | 4th position | 5th position |
| A | 5.75% | 17.13% | 9.84% | 7.64% | 4.12% |
| B | 6.82% | 0.61% | 2.50% | 1.64% | 0.41% |
| C | 7.70% | 1.41% | 3.16% | 3.32% | 1.12% |
| D | 5.29% | 0.67% | 3.17% | 3.53% | 6.74% |
| E | 2.22% | 12.31% | 6.54% | 19.74% | 10.78% |
| F | 4.98% | 0.16% | 1.41% | 1.75% | 0.61% |
| G | 4.81% | 0.57% | 2.78% | 3.14% | 1.02% |
| H | 3.87% | 4.40% | 0.80% | 1.61% | 2.95% |
| I | 1.37% | 11.19% | 8.60% | 6.68% | 1.64% |
| J | 1.55% | 0.08% | 0.24% | 0.13% | 0.00% |
| K | 2.39% | 0.64% | 1.73% | 3.76% | 2.11% |
| L | 4.64% | 5.89% | 6.76% | 6.16% | 3.99% |
| M | 5.14% | 1.34% | 3.90% | 3.11% | 1.45% |
| N | 2.32% | 2.77% | 7.30% | 6.07% | 4.21% |
| O | 2.10% | 15.46% | 7.84% | 5.27% | 2.58% |
| P | 6.54% | 1.75% | 2.83% | 3.16% | 1.39% |
| Q | 0.61% | 0.14% | 0.09% | 0.00% | 0.02% |
| R | 4.85% | 7.47% | 9.16% | 5.28% | 6.06% |
| S | 12.23% | 0.75% | 3.95% | 4.10% | 31.21% |
| T | 6.35% | 1.92% | 5.13% | 7.23% | 5.56% |
| U | 1.35% | 9.16% | 5.14% | 2.96% | 0.29% |
| V | 1.86% | 0.45% | 1.93% | 1.12% | 0.02% |
| W | 3.43% | 1.13% | 1.81% | 1.03% | 0.46% |
| X | 0.15% | 0.51% | 1.05% | 0.09% | 0.54% |
| Y | 1.09% | 1.91% | 1.38% | 0.73% | 10.49% |
| Z | 0.59% | 0.17% | 0.95% | 0.73% | 0.21% |
A graph is given below to show the highest letter frequency in 5-letter words by position:
Consonant frequency
How many consonants are in the alphabet?
- In the English alphabet, there are 21 consonants:
- “B,” “C,” “D,” “F,” “G,” “H,” “J,” “K,” “L,” “M,” “N,” “P,” “Q,” “R,” “S,” “T,” “V,” “W,” “X,” “Y,” and “Z.”
- While “Y” is typically classified as a consonant, it can function as a vowel depending on its usage.
What is the most used consonant in the alphabet?
- Our word database reveals that “S” is the most common consonant in the English alphabet, appearing in 9.52% of the words analyzed.
- “R” ranks as the second most used consonant at 7.07%, while “N” is the third most frequent at 6.85%.
What is the least used consonant in the alphabet?
- Among the least common consonants, “J” appears the least frequently, showing up in just 0.16% of the analyzed words.
- The consonants “Q” and “X” also appear less often, at 0.16% and 0.29%, respectively.
| Consonant | Frequency | Rank |
| B | 1.84% | #12 |
| C | 4.09% | #6 |
| D | 3.38% | #7 |
| F | 1.23% | #14 |
| G | 2.70% | #10 |
| H | 2.32% | #11 |
| J | 0.16% | #21 |
| K | 0.85% | #16 |
| L | 5.31% | #5 |
| M | 2.84% | #9 |
| N | 6.85% | #3 |
| P | 2.94% | #8 |
| Q | 0.16% | #20 |
| R | 7.07% | #2 |
| S | 9.52% | #1 |
| T | 6.68% | #4 |
| V | 0.98% | #15 |
| W | 0.74% | #17 |
| X | 0.29% | #19 |
| Y | 1.63% | #13 |
| Z | 0.47% | #18 |
A graph is given below to show the most common consonants by frequency:
Most common consonants in 5-letter words
In order of frequency, the most common consonants in 5-letter words according to our research are:
- “S”
- “R”
- “L”
- “T”
- “N”
Are there any words with no consonants?
- A few rare words exist that contain no consonants, such as “Aa,” “Ae,” “Ai,” “Ea,” “Eau,” “Ee,” “Euouae,” “Io,” “Oe,” and “Oo.”
- However, the validity of these words can vary depending on different sources.
Vowel frequency
How many vowels are in the alphabet?
- In the English alphabet, there are 5 vowels: “A,” “E,” “I,” “O,” and “U.”
- Additionally, the letter “Y” can function as a vowel in certain contexts, even though it is technically classified as a consonant.
What is the least used vowel in the alphabet?
- “U” is the least commonly used vowel in the English alphabet.
- According to our analysis, it appears in just 3.27% of the words.
| Vowel | Frequency | Rank |
| A | 7.57% | #3 |
| E | 11.51% | #1 |
| I | 9.01% | #2 |
| O | 6.59% | #4 |
| U | 3.27% | #5 |
A graph is given below to show the most common vowels by frequency:
Most common vowels in 5-letter words
- In order of frequency, the most common vowels in 5-letter words are “E” and “A.”
- These two vowels appear significantly more often in 5-letter words compared to the other vowels.
What is the 5-letter word with most vowels?
- “Iouea” is the shortest 5-letter word in the dictionary that contains only vowels.
- It is a proper noun and an extremely rare term that refers to an extinct type of sponge.
Are there any words with all of the vowels?
- There are many words in the English language that include all the vowels.
- Examples of popular words with all the vowels are “Authorize,” “Cautioned,” “Cauliflower,” “Education,” “Euphoria,” “Housemaid,” “Nefarious,” “Reputation,” “Speculation,” and “Tenacious.”
- Additionally, there are a few rare words made up entirely of vowels, with varying lengths.
Are there any words with no vowels?
- There are many words in the English language that contain no vowels.
- Examples of popular words composed only of consonants include “Cry,” “Crypt,” “Dry,” “Fly,” “Myth,” “Rhythm,” “Sly,” “Spy,” “Try,” and “Why.”
Letter combination frequency
Most common double letters
In language, a double letter occurs when the same letter appears twice in a row within a word. According to our study, the most common double letters in the English language are:
- “SS” (found in 6.09% of words)
- “LL” (found in 4.78% of words)
- “EE” (found in 2.22% of words)
Double letters such as “HH,” “JJ,” “QQ,” and “XX” do not appear in English words.
*recorded a maximum of one time per word.
| Double letter | Frequency | Rank |
| AA | 0.04% | #16 |
| BB | 0.55% | #14 |
| CC | 0.56% | #13 |
| DD | 0.56% | #12 |
| EE | 2.22% | #3 |
| FF | 0.96% | #10 |
| GG | 0.72% | #11 |
| HH | 0.00% | N/A |
| II | 0.03% | #17 |
| JJ | 0.00% | N/A |
| KK | 0.03% | #18 |
| LL | 4.78% | #2 |
| MM | 1.04% | #8 |
| NN | 0.98% | #9 |
| OO | 2.18% | #4 |
| PP | 1.08% | #7 |
| 0.00% | N/A | |
| RR | 1.43% | #6 |
| SS | 6.09% | #1 |
| TT | 1.76% | #5 |
| UU | 0.02% | #19 |
| VV | 0.02% | #20 |
| WW | 0.02% | #20 |
| XX | 0.00% | N/A |
| YY | 0.00% | #22 |
| ZZ | 0.20% | #15 |
A graph is given below to show the most common double letters by frequency:
What is a bigram?
In language, a bigram is a pair of consecutive letters within a word. According to our database, the most common bigrams in the English language are:
- “ES” (2.75%)
- “IN” (2.35%)
- “ER” (2.31%)
- “TI” (1.74%)
- “TE” (1.43%)
For 5-letter words specifically, the most common bigrams are:
- “ES” (1.79%)
- “ER” (1.64%)
- “ED” (1.36%)
- “AR” (1.27%)
- “RE” (1.22%)
What is a trigram?
In language, a trigram consists of three consecutive letters within a word. According to our research, the most common trigrams in five-letter words in the English language are:
- “RES” (0.31%)
- “ING” (0.27%)
- “ATE” (0.26%)
- “AVE” (0.24%)
- “INE” (0.24%)
What words have 3 double letters?
There are several words in the English language that feature three double letters, including:
- “Addressee”
- “Committee”
- “Greenness”
- “Successfully”
- “Suddenness”
Additionally, “Bookkeeper” and “Bookkeeping” are notable examples of words with three consecutive double letters.
Letter frequency in English FAQ
What letter never ends a word?
- In the English language, there is no letter that cannot appear at the end of a word.
- However, the letters “J” and “V” are particularly uncommon as word endings.
- Words that end with these letters are often abbreviations, slang terms, or borrowed from other languages.
What is the only letter in the English language that is never silent?
- In the English language, the letter “V” is never used silently; it is pronounced consistently in every word.
- In contrast, every other letter can sometimes be silent.
Can Q exist without U?
- In the English language, the letter “Q” is typically followed by the letter “U.”
- However, there are some exceptions, mostly involving anglicized words borrowed from other languages.
- The letter “Q” by itself represents a sound not found in native English words.
What letters are no longer in the English language?
As the English language has evolved over time, several letters have been removed from the alphabet. These include:
- Eth (ð) – Pronounced like the “th” in “this” or “that.”
- Thorn (þ) – Pronounced like the “th” in “thing” or “thought.”
- Wynn (ƿ) – Pronounced with the “w” sound used today.
- Yogh (ȝ) – Pronounced like the “ch” in “loch” or “Bach.”
- Ash (æ) – Pronounced like the “a” in “cat” in British English.
- Ethel (œ) – Pronounced like the “oi” in “coil” or “boil.”
These letters were removed to streamline the alphabet, eliminate redundancy, and simplify the language.
FAQ’s
What is letter frequency in English?
- Letter frequency refers to how often each letter appears in written English text. It helps in understanding patterns in the language.
Which letter is the most frequently used in English?
- The letter “E” is the most frequently used letter in English, appearing in approximately 11.51% of all words.
What are the least common letters in English?
- The least common letters in English are “J,” “Q,” and “X.” For instance, “J” appears only about 0.16% of the time in analyzed words.
How does letter frequency impact word games like Scrabble?
- Knowing letter frequency can help players make strategic decisions about which letters to use or retain, affecting their scoring and gameplay strategy.
Why is understanding letter frequency useful for writers and editors?
- Writers and editors can use letter frequency to improve readability, optimize text for various media, and ensure efficient communication.
How does letter frequency affect cryptography?
- In cryptography, letter frequency analysis can help decipher codes by revealing patterns in letter usage, which is useful for breaking simple substitution ciphers.
Are there differences in letter frequency between different types of texts?
- Yes, letter frequency can vary depending on the type of text (e.g., literary works, scientific articles, or casual conversations), but some patterns remain consistent.
Does letter frequency vary by dialect or regional variation?
- While overall patterns are similar, letter frequency can vary slightly depending on regional dialects and specific language usage.
How is letter frequency analyzed?
- Letter frequency is analyzed using statistical methods on large corpora of text, counting occurrences of each letter and calculating their relative frequencies.
What role does letter frequency play in spelling and phonetics?
- Letter frequency can influence spelling conventions and phonetic patterns, affecting how words are pronounced and written.
How can letter frequency data help with learning a new language?
- Understanding letter frequency in a new language can aid in learning and mastering vocabulary by highlighting common letters and patterns.
Is there a difference in letter frequency between uppercase and lowercase letters?
- No, letter frequency remains the same regardless of case; “A” and “a” are counted together.
How does letter frequency change with different writing systems or alphabets?
- Letter frequency varies by writing system or alphabet. For example, in languages with different scripts or symbols, the most common letters will differ.
Can letter frequency be used to improve keyboard design?
- Yes, understanding letter frequency can help design more efficient keyboards by placing the most commonly used letters in easily accessible positions.
What are some common misconceptions about letter frequency?
- One misconception is that letter frequency is uniform across all types of text; in reality, it can vary based on context and genre.
How does letter frequency impact text compression algorithms?
- Letter frequency is crucial for text compression algorithms, which use it to optimize data storage by encoding more common letters with fewer bits.
Are there any online tools to analyze letter frequency?
- Yes, there are various online tools and software that can analyze letter frequency in text, providing detailed statistical breakdowns.
Can letter frequency analysis be applied to other languages?
- Yes, letter frequency analysis is applicable to any language with an alphabetic writing system, though the specific frequencies will differ.
How does letter frequency affect linguistic research?
- Letter frequency data supports linguistic research by providing insights into language structure, usage patterns, and historical language changes.
What is the frequency of the letter “Z” in English?
- The letter “Z” is one of the least common letters in English, appearing in approximately 0.07% of words.
