Articles on: Readable Data

Dale-Chall Words List

The Dale-Chall readability formula developed by Edgar Dale and Jeanne Chall is calculated by counting difficult words in a piece of text, where those words are simply those not found on a list of common words - much like the Spache Readability Formula.

Those common words are a list of words with which 80% or more of fourth-grade students are familiar.

That word list has been modified over time, and the current version of the formula - the New Dale-Chall Readability Formula - uses about 3,000 words in its list. For your reference, here they are! Texts written using just these words are likely to be easy to read for fourth-grade students and higher.

a
able
aboard
about
above
absent
accept
accident
account
ache
aching
acorn
acre
across
act
acts
add
address
admire
adventure
afar
afraid
after
afternoon
afterward
afterwards
again
against
age
aged
ago
agree
ah
ahead
aid
aim
air
airfield
airplane
airport
airship
airyalarm
alike
alive
all
alley
alligator
allow
almost
alone
along
aloud
already
also
always
am
America
American
among
amount
an
and
angel
anger
angry
animal
another
answer
ant
any
anybody
anyhow
anyone
anything
anyway
anywhere
apart
apartment
ape
apiece
appear
apple
Aprilapron
are
aren't
arise
arithmetic
arm
armful
army
arose
around
arrange
arrive
arrived
arrow
art
artist
as
ash
ashes
aside
ask
asleep
at
ate
attack
attend
attention
August
aunt
author
auto
automobile
autumn
avenue
awake
awaken
away
awful
awfully
awhile
ax
axebaa
babe
babies
back
background
backward
backwards
bacon
bad
badge
badly
bag
bake
baker
bakery
baking
ball
balloon
banana
band
bandage
bang
banjo
bank
banker
bar
barber
bare
barefoot
barely
bark
barn
barrel
base
baseball
basement
basket
bat
batch
bath
bathe
bathing
bathroom
bathtub
battle
battleship
bay
be
beach
bead
beam
bean
bear
beard
beast
beat
beating
beautiful
beautify
beauty
became
because
become
becoming
bed
bedbug
bedroom
bedspread
bedtime
bee
beech
beef
beefsteak
beehive
been
beer
beet
before
beg
began
beggar
begged
begin
beginning
begun
behave
behindbeing
believe
bell
belong
below
belt
bench
bend
beneath
bent
berries
berry
beside
besides
best
bet
better
between
bib
bible
bicycle
bid
big
bigger
bill
billboard
bin
bind
bird
birth
birthday
biscuit
bit
bite
biting
bitter
black
blackberry
blackbird
blackboard
blackness
blacksmith
blame
blank
blanket
blast
blaze
bleed
bless
blessing
blew
blind
blindfold
blinds
block
blood
bloom
blossom
blot
blow
blue
blueberry
bluebird
blush
board
boast
boat
bob
bobwhite
bodies
body
boil
boiler
bold
bone
bonnet
boo
book
bookcase
bookkeeper
boom
boot
born
borrow
boss
both
botherbottle
bottom
bought
bounce
bow
bowl
bow-wow
box
boxcar
boxer
boxes
boy
boyhood
bracelet
brain
brake
bran
branch
brass
brave
bread
break
breakfast
breast
breath
breathe
breeze
brick
bride
bridge
bright
brightness
bring
broad
broadcast
broke
broken
brook
broom
brother
brought
brown
brush
bubble
bucket
buckle
bud
buffalo
bug
buggy
build
building
built
bulb
bull
bullet
bum
bumblebee
bump
bun
bunch
bundle
bunny
burn
burst
bury
bus
bush
bushel
business
busy
but
butcher
butt
butter
buttercup
butterfly
buttermilk
butterscotch
button
buttonhole
buy
buzz
by
byecab
cabbage
cabin
cabinet
cackle
cage
cake
calendar
calf
call
caller
calling
came
camel
camp
campfire
can
canal
canary
candle
candlestick
candy
cane
cannon
cannot
canoe
can't
canyon
cap
cape
capital
captain
car
card
cardboard
care
careful
careless
carelessness
carload
carpenter
carpet
carriage
carrot
carry
cart
carve
case
cash
cashier
castle
cat
catbird
catch
catcher
caterpillar
catfish
catsup
cattle
caught
cause
cave
ceiling
cell
cellar
cent
center
cereal
certain
certainly
chain
chair
chalk
champion
chance
change
chap
charge
charm
chart
chase
chatter
cheap
cheat
check
checkers
cheek
cheer
cheese
cherryhest
chew
chick
chicken
chief
child
childhood
children
chill
chilly
chimney
chin
china
chip
chipmunk
chocolate
choice
choose
chop
chorus
chose
chosen
christen
Christmas
church
churn
cigarette
circle
circus
citizen
city
clang
clap
class
classmate
classroom
claw
clay
clean
cleaner
clear
clerk
clever
click
cliff
climb
clip
cloak
clock
close
closet
cloth
clothes
clothing
cloud
cloudy
clover
clown
club
cluck
clump
coach
coal
coast
coat
cob
cobbler
cocoa
coconut
cocoon
cod
codfish
coffee
coffeepot
coin
cold
collar
college
color
colored
colt
column
comb
come
comfort
comic
coming
company
compare
conductorcone
connect
coo
cook
cooked
cooking
cookie
cookies
cool
cooler
coop
copper
copy
cord
cork
corn
corner
correct
cost
cot
cottage
cotton
couch
cough
could
couldn't
count
counter
country
county
course
court
cousin
cover
cow
coward
cowardly
cowboy
cozy
crab
crack
cracker
cradle
cramps
cranberry
crank
cranky
crash
crawl
crazy
cream
creamy
creek
creep
crept
cried
croak
crook
crooked
crop
cross
crossing
cross-eyed
crow
crowd
crowded
crown
cruel
crumb
crumble
crush
crust
cry
cries
cub
cuff
cup
cupboard
cupful
cure
curl
curly
curtain
curve
cushion
custard
customer
cut
cute
cuttingdab
dad
daddy
daily
dairy
daisy
dam
damage
dame
damp
dance
dancer
dancing
dandy
danger
dangerous
dare
dark
darkness
darling
darn
dart
dash
date
daughter
dawn
day
daybreak
daytime
dead
deaf
deal
dear
death
December
decide
deck
deed
deep
deer
defeat
defend
defense
delight
den
dentist
depend
deposit
describe
desertdeserve
desire
desk
destroy
devil
dew
diamond
did
didn't
die
died
dies
difference
different
dig
dim
dime
dine
ding-dong
dinner
dip
direct
direction
dirt
dirty
discover
dish
dislike
dismiss
ditch
dive
diver
divide
do
dock
doctor
does
doesn't
dog
doll
dollar
dolly
done
donkey
don't
door
doorbell
doorknob
doorstep
dopedot
double
dough
dove
down
downstairs
downtown
dozen
drag
drain
drank
draw
drawer
drawing
dream
dress
dresser
dressmaker
drew
dried
drift
drill
drink
drip
drive
driven
driver
drop
drove
drown
drowsy
drub
drum
drunk
dry
duck
due
dug
dull
dumb
dump
during
dust
dusty
duty
dwarf
dwell
dwelt
dyingeach
eager
eagle
ear
early
earn
earth
east
eastern
easy
eat
eaten
edge
egg
eh
eight
eighteen
eighth
eighty
either
elbow
elder
eldest
electricelectricity
elephant
eleven
elf
elm
else
elsewhere
empty
end
ending
enemy
engine
engineer
English
enjoy
enough
enter
envelope
equal
erase
eraser
errand
escape
eveeven
evening
ever
every
everybody
everyday
everyone
everything
everywhere
evil
exact
except
exchange
excited
exciting
excuse
exit
expect
explain
extra
eye
eyebrowfable
face
facing
fact
factory
fail
faint
fair
fairy
faith
fake
fall
false
family
fan
fancy
far
faraway
fare
farmer
farm
farming
far-off
farther
fashion
fast
fasten
fat
father
fault
favor
favorite
fear
feast
feather
February
fed
feed
feel
feet
fell
fellow
felt
fence
fever
few
fib
fiddle
field
fife
fifteen
fifth
fifty
fig
fight
figure
filefill
film
finally
find
fine
finger
finish
fire
firearm
firecracker
fireplace
fireworks
firing
first
fish
fisherman
fist
fit
fits
five
fix
flag
flake
flame
flap
flash
flashlight
flat
flea
flesh
flew
flies
flight
flip
flip-flop
float
flock
flood
floor
flop
flour
flow
flower
flowery
flutter
fly
foam
fog
foggy
fold
folks
follow
following
fond
food
fool
foolishfoot
football
footprint
for
forehead
forest
forget
forgive
forgot
forgotten
fork
form
fort
forth
fortune
forty
forward
fought
found
fountain
four
fourteen
fourth
fox
frame
free
freedom
freeze
freight
French
fresh
fret
Friday
fried
friend
friendly
friendship
frighten
frog
from
front
frost
frown
froze
fruit
fry
fudge
fuel
full
fully
fun
funny
fur
furniture
further
fuzzygain
gallon
gallop
game
gang
garage
garbage
garden
gas
gasoline
gate
gather
gave
gay
gear
geese
general
gentle
gentleman
gentlemen
geography
get
getting
giant
gift
gingerbread
girl
give
given
giving
glad
gladly
glance
glass
glasses
gleam
glide
glory
gloveglow
glue
go
going
goes
goal
goat
gobble
God
god
godmother
gold
golden
goldfish
golf
gone
good
goods
goodbye
good-by
good-bye
good-looking
goodness
goody
goose
gooseberry
got
govern
government
gown
grab
gracious
grade
grain
grand
grandchild
grandchildren
granddaughter
grandfathergrandma
grandmother
grandpa
grandson
grandstand
grape
grapes
grapefruit
grass
grasshopper
grateful
grave
gravel
graveyard
gravy
gray
graze
grease
great
green
greet
grew
grind
groan
grocery
ground
group
grove
grow
guard
guess
guest
guide
gulf
gum
gun
gunpowder
guyha
habit
had
hadn't
hail
hair
haircut
hairpin
half
hall
halt
ham
hammer
hand
handful
handkerchief
handle
handwriting
hang
happen
happily
happiness
happy
harbor
hard
hardly
hardship
hardware
hare
hark
harm
harness
harp
harvest
has
hasn't
haste
hasten
hasty
hat
hatch
hatchet
hate
haul
have
haven't
having
hawk
hay
hayfield
haystack
he
head
headache
heal
health
healthy
heap
hearhearing
heard
heart
heat
heater
heaven
heavy
he'd
heel
height
held
hell
he'll
hello
helmet
help
helper
helpful
hem
hen
henhouse
her
hers
herd
here
here's
hero
herself
he's
hey
hickory
hid
hidden
hide
high
highway
hill
hillside
hilltop
hilly
him
himself
hind
hint
hip
hire
his
hiss
history
hit
hitch
hive
ho
hoe
hog
hold
holder
hole
holidayhollow
holy
home
homely
homesick
honest
honey
honeybee
honeymoon
honk
honor
hood
hoof
hook
hoop
hop
hope
hopeful
hopeless
horn
horse
horseback
horseshoe
hose
hospital
host
hot
hotel
hound
hour
house
housetop
housewife
housework
how
however
howl
hug
huge
hum
humble
hump
hundred
hung
hunger
hungry
hunk
hunt
hunter
hurrah
hurried
hurry
hurt
husband
hush
hut
hymnI
ice
icy
I'd
idea
ideal
if
ill
I'll
I'm
important
impossible
improve
in
inchinches
income
indeed
Indian
indoors
ink
inn
insect
inside
instant
instead
insult
intend
interested
interestinginto
invite
iron
is
island
isn't
it
its
it's
itself
I've
ivory
ivyjacket
jacks
jail
jam
January
jar
jaw
jay
jelly
jellyfish
jerkjig
job
jockey
join
joke
joking
jolly
journey
joy
joyful
joyousjudge
jug
juice
juicy
July
jump
June
junior
junk
justkeen
keep
kept
kettle
key
kick
kid
kill
killed
kindkindly
kindness
king
kingdom
kiss
kitchen
kite
kitten
kitty
kneekneel
knew
knife
knit
knives
knob
knock
knot
know
knownlace
lad
ladder
ladies
lady
laid
lake
lamb
lame
lamp
land
lane
language
lantern
lap
lard
large
lash
lass
last
late
laugh
laundry
law
lawn
lawyer
lay
lazy
lead
leader
leaf
leak
lean
leap
learn
learned
least
leather
leave
leavingled
left
leg
lemon
lemonade
lend
length
less
lesson
let
let's
letter
letting
lettuce
level
liberty
library
lice
lick
lid
lie
life
lift
light
lightness
lightning
like
likely
liking
lily
limb
lime
limp
line
linen
lion
lip
list
listen
litlittle
live
lives
lively
liver
living
lizard
load
loaf
loan
loaves
lock
locomotive
log
lone
lonely
lonesome
long
look
lookout
loop
loose
lord
lose
loser
loss
lost
lot
loud
love
lovely
lover
low
luck
lucky
lumber
lump
lunch
lyingma
machine
machinery
mad
made
magazine
magic
maid
mail
mailbox
mailman
major
make
making
male
mama
mamma
man
manager
mane
manger
many
map
maple
marble
march
March
mare
mark
market
marriage
married
marry
mask
mast
master
mat
match
matter
mattress
may
May
maybe
mayor
maypoleme
meadow
meal
mean
means
meant
measure
meat
medicine
meet
meeting
melt
member
men
mend
meow
merry
mess
message
met
metal
mew
mice
middle
midnight
might
mighty
mile
milk
milkman
mill
miler
million
mind
mine
miner
mint
minute
mirror
mischief
miss
Miss
misspell
mistake
mistymitt
mitten
mix
moment
Monday
money
monkey
month
moo
moon
moonlight
moose
mop
more
morning
morrow
moss
most
mostly
mother
motor
mount
mountain
mouse
mouth
move
movie
movies
moving
mow
Mr.
Mrs.
much
mud
muddy
mug
mule
multiply
murder
music
must
my
myselfnail
name
nap
napkin
narrow
nasty
naughty
navy
near
nearby
nearly
neat
neck
necktie
need
needle
needn't
Negro
neighbor
neighborhoodneither
nerve
nest
net
never
nevermore
new
news
newspaper
next
nibble
nice
nickel
night
nightgown
nine
nineteen
ninety
no
nobodynod
noise
noisy
none
noon
nor
north
northern
nose
not
note
nothing
notice
November
now
nowhere
number
nurse
nutoak
oar
oatmeal
oats
obey
ocean
o'clock
October
odd
of
off
offer
office
officer
often
oh
oil
old
old-fashioned
on
onceone
onion
only
onward
open
or
orange
orchard
order
ore
organ
other
otherwise
ouch
ought
our
ours
ourselves
out
outdoors
outfitoutlaw
outline
outside
outward
oven
over
overalls
overcoat
overeat
overhead
overhear
overnight
overturn
owe
owing
owl
own
owner
oxpa
pace
pack
package
pad
page
paid
pail
pain
painful
paint
painter
painting
pair
pal
palace
pale
pan
pancake
pane
pansy
pants
papa
paper
parade
pardon
parent
park
part
partly
partner
party
pass
passenger
past
paste
pasture
pat
patch
path
patter
pave
pavement
paw
pay
payment
pea
peas
peace
peaceful
peach
peaches
peak
peanut
pear
pearl
peck
peek
peel
peep
peg
pen
pencil
pennypeople
pepper
peppermint
perfume
perhaps
person
pet
phone
piano
pick
pickle
picnic
picture
pie
piece
pig
pigeon
piggy
pile
pill
pillow
pin
pine
pineapple
pink
pint
pipe
pistol
pit
pitch
pitcher
pity
place
plain
plan
plane
plant
plate
platform
platter
play
player
playground
playhouse
playmate
plaything
pleasant
please
pleasure
plenty
plow
plug
plum
pocket
pocketbook
poem
point
poison
poke
pole
police
policeman
polish
politeond
ponies
pony
pool
poor
pop
popcorn
popped
porch
pork
possible
post
postage
postman
pot
potato
potatoes
pound
pour
powder
power
powerful
praise
pray
prayer
prepare
present
pretty
price
prick
prince
princess
print
prison
prize
promise
proper
protect
proud
prove
prune
public
puddle
puff
pull
pump
pumpkin
punch
punish
pup
pupil
puppy
pure
purple
purse
push
puss
pussy
pussycat
put
putting
puzzlequack
quart
quarter
queenqueer
question
quick
quicklyquiet
quilt
quit
quiterabbit
race
rack
radio
radish
rag
rail
railroad
railway
rain
rainy
rainbow
raise
raisin
rake
ram
ran
ranch
rang
rap
rapidly
rat
rate
rather
rattle
raw
ray
reach
read
reader
reading
ready
real
really
reap
rear
reason
rebuild
receive
recess
recordred
redbird
redbreast
refuse
reindeer
rejoice
remain
remember
remind
remove
rent
repair
repay
repeat
report
rest
return
review
reward
rib
ribbon
rice
rich
rid
riddle
ride
rider
riding
right
rim
ring
rip
ripe
rise
rising
river
road
roadside
roar
roast
robrobber
robe
robin
rock
rocky
rocket
rode
roll
roller
roof
room
rooster
root
rope
rose
rosebud
rot
rotten
rough
round
route
row
rowboat
royal
rub
rubbed
rubber
rubbish
rug
rule
ruler
rumble
run
rung
runner
running
rush
rust
rusty
ryesack
sad
saddle
sadness
safe
safety
said
sail
sailboat
sailor
saint
salad
sale
salt
same
sand
sandy
sandwich
sang
sank
sap
sash
sat
satin
satisfactory
Saturday
sausage
savage
save
savings
saw
say
scab
scales
scare
scarf
school
schoolboy
schoolhouse
schoolmaster
schoolroom
scorch
score
scrap
scrape
scratch
scream
screen
screw
scrub
sea
seal
seam
search
season
seat
second
secret
see
seeing
seed
seek
seem
seen
seesaw
select
self
selfish
sell
send
sense
sent
sentence
separate
September
servant
serve
service
set
setting
settle
settlement
seven
seventeen
seventh
seventy
several
sew
shade
shadow
shady
shake
shaker
shaking
shall
shame
shan't
shape
share
sharp
shave
she
she'd
she'll
she's
shear
shears
shed
sheep
sheet
shelf
shell
shepherd
shine
shining
shiny
ship
shirt
shock
shoe
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Updated on: 18/04/2020

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