most common words in english

The 3,000 most common words in English

Learn the 3,000 most common words in English and you will understand 90% of spoken and written English.

Editors of the Britannica Dictionary identified 3,000 core vocabulary words that are the most important words to know in English.

When you can use these 3,000 words confidently, you will understand 90% of written and spoken English. And you’ll sound like an intermediate to fluent English speaker.

Use the list below to see which words you already know and which ones you need to add to your English vocabulary.

And please don’t try to learn everything on this list all at once. The most important thing for all English learners is to start with the vocabulary you need.

Learn words that are useful to YOU first. You will naturally learn other helpful English words as you study and practice the English language over time.

Words starting with A

a

abandon

ability

able

abortion

about

above

abroad

absence

absolute

absolutely

absorb

abuse

academic

accept

access

accident

accompany

accomplish

according

account

accurate

accuse

achieve

achievement

acid

acknowledge

acquire

across

act

action

active

activist

activity

actor

actress

actual

actually

ad

adapt

add

addition

additional

address

adequate

adjust

adjustment

administration

administrator

admire

admission

admit

adolescent

adopt

adult

advance

advanced

advantage

adventure

advertising

advice

advise

adviser

advocate

affair

affect

afford

afraid

African

African-American

after

afternoon

again

against

age

agency

agenda

agent

aggressive

ago

agree

agreement

agricultural

ah

ahead

aid

aide

AIDS

aim

air

aircraft

airline

airport

album

alcohol

alive

all

alliance

allow

ally

almost

alone

along

already

also

alter

alternative

although

always

AM

amazing

American

among

amount

analysis

analyst

analyze

ancient

and

anger

angle

angry

animal

anniversary

announce

annual

another

answer

anticipate

anxiety

any

anybody

anymore

anyone

anything

anyway

anywhere

apart

apartment

apparent

apparently

appeal

appear

appearance

apple

application

apply

appoint

appointment

appreciate

approach

appropriate

approval

approve

approximately

Arab

architect

area

argue

argument

arise

arm

armed

army

around

arrange

arrangement

arrest

arrival

arrive

art

article

artist

artistic

as

Asian

aside

ask

asleep

aspect

assault

assert

assess

assessment

asset

assign

assignment

assist

assistance

assistant

associate

association

assume

assumption

assure

at

athlete

athletic

atmosphere

attach

attack

attempt

attend

attention

attitude

attorney

attract

attractive

attribute

audience

author

authority

auto

available

average

avoid

award

aware

awareness

away

awful

Words starting with B

baby

back

background

bad

badly

bag

bake

balance

ball

ban

band

bank

bar

barely

barrel

barrier

base

baseball

basic

basically

basis

basket

basketball

bathroom

battery

battle

be

beach

bean

bear

beat

beautiful

beauty

because

become

bed

bedroom

beer

before

begin

beginning

behavior

behind

being

belief

believe

bell

belong

below

belt

bench

bend

beneath

benefit

beside

besides

best

bet

better

between

beyond

Bible

big

bike

bill

billion

bind

biological

bird

birth

birthday

bit

bite

black

blade

blame

blanket

blind

block

blood

blow

blue

board

boat

body

bomb

bombing

bond

bone

book

boom

boot

border

born

borrow

boss

both

bother

bottle

bottom

boundary

bowl

box

boy

boyfriend

brain

branch

brand

bread

break

breakfast

breast

breath

breathe

brick

bridge

brief

briefly

bright

brilliant

bring

British

broad

broken

brother

brown

brush

buck

budget

build

building

bullet

bunch

burden

burn

bury

bus

business

busy

but

butter

button

buy

buyer

by

Words starting with C

cabin

cabinet

cable

cake

calculate

call

camera

camp

campaign

campus

can

Canadian

cancer

candidate

cap

capability

capable

capacity

capital

captain

capture

car

carbon

card

care

career

careful

carefully

carrier

carry

case

cash

cast

cat

catch

category

Catholic

cause

ceiling

celebrate

celebration

celebrity

cell

center

central

century

CEO

ceremony

certain

certainly

chain

chair

chairman

challenge

chamber

champion

championship

chance

change

changing

channel

chapter

character

characteristic

characterize

charge

charity

chart

chase

cheap

check

cheek

cheese

chef

chemical

chest

chicken

chief

child

childhood

Chinese

chip

chocolate

choice

cholesterol

choose

Christian

Christmas

church

cigarette

circle

circumstance

cite

citizen

city

civil

civilian

claim

class

classic

classroom

clean

clear

clearly

client

climate

climb

clinic

clinical

clock

close

closely

closer

clothes

clothing

cloud

club

clue

cluster

coach

coal

coalition

coast

coat

code

coffee

cognitive

cold

collapse

colleague

collect

collection

collective

college

colonial

color

column

combination

combine

come

comedy

comfort

comfortable

command

commander

comment

commercial

commission

commit

commitment

committee

common

communicate

communication

community

company

compare

comparison

compete

competition

competitive

competitor

complain

complaint

complete

completely

complex

complicated

component

compose

composition

comprehensive

computer

concentrate

concentration

concept

concern

concerned

concert

conclude

conclusion

concrete

condition

conduct

conference

confidence

confident

confirm

conflict

confront

confusion

Congress

congressional

connect

connection

consciousness

consensus

consequence

conservative

consider

considerable

consideration

consist

consistent

constant

constantly

constitute

constitutional

construct

construction

consultant

consume

consumer

consumption

contact

contain

container

contemporary

content

contest

context

continue

continued

contract

contrast

contribute

contribution

control

controversial

controversy

convention

conventional

conversation

convert

conviction

convince

cook

cookie

cooking

cool

cooperation

cop

cope

copy

core

corn

corner

corporate

corporation

correct

correspondent

cost

cotton

couch

could

council

counselor

count

counter

country

county

couple

courage

course

court

cousin

cover

coverage

cow

crack

craft

crash

crazy

cream

create

creation

creative

creature

credit

crew

crime

criminal

crisis

criteria

critic

critical

criticism

criticize

crop

cross

crowd

crucial

cry

cultural

culture

cup

curious

current

currently

curriculum

custom

customer

cut

cycle

Words starting with D

dad

daily

damage

dance

danger

dangerous

dare

dark

darkness

data

date

daughter

day

dead

deal

dealer

dear

death

debate

debt

decade

decide

decision

deck

declare

decline

decrease

deep

deeply

deer

defeat

defend

defendant

defense

defensive

deficit

define

definitely

definition

degree

delay

deliver

delivery

demand

democracy

Democrat

democratic

demonstrate

demonstration

deny

department

depend

dependent

depending

depict

depression

depth

deputy

derive

describe

description

desert

deserve

design

designer

desire

desk

desperate

despite

destroy

destruction

detail

detailed

detect

determine

develop

developing

development

device

devote

dialogue

die

diet

differ

difference

different

differently

difficult

difficulty

dig

digital

dimension

dining

dinner

direct

direction

directly

director

dirt

dirty

disability

disagree

disappear

disaster

discipline

discourse

discover

discovery

discrimination

discuss

discussion

disease

dish

dismiss

disorder

display

dispute

distance

distant

distinct

distinction

distinguish

distribute

distribution

district

diverse

diversity

divide

division

divorce

DNA

do

doctor

document

dog

domestic

dominant

dominate

door

double

doubt

down

downtown

dozen

draft

drag

drama

dramatic

dramatically

draw

drawing

dream

dress

drink

drive

driver

drop

drug

dry

due

during

dust

duty

Words starting with E

each

eager

ear

early

earn

earnings

earth

ease

easily

east

eastern

easy

eat

economic

economics

economist

economy

edge

edition

editor

educate

education

educational

educator

effect

effective

effectively

efficiency

efficient

effort

egg

eight

either

elderly

elect

election

electric

electricity

electronic

element

elementary

eliminate

elite

else

elsewhere

e-mail

embrace

emerge

emergency

emission

emotion

emotional

emphasis

emphasize

employ

employee

employer

employment

empty

enable

encounter

encourage

end

enemy

energy

enforcement

engage

engine

engineer

engineering

English

enhance

enjoy

enormous

enough

ensure

enter

enterprise

entertainment

entire

entirely

entrance

entry

environment

environmental

episode

equal

equally

equipment

era

error

escape

especially

essay

essential

essentially

establish

establishment

estate

estimate

etc

ethics

ethnic

European

evaluate

evaluation

even

evening

event

eventually

ever

every

everybody

everyday

everyone

everything

everywhere

evidence

evolution

evolve

exact

exactly

examination

examine

example

exceed

excellent

except

exception

exchange

exciting

executive

exercise

exhibit

exhibition

exist

existence

existing

expand

expansion

expect

expectation

expense

expensive

experience

experiment

expert

explain

explanation

explode

explore

explosion

expose

exposure

express

expression

extend

extension

extensive

extent

external

extra

extraordinary

extreme

extremely

eye

Words starting with F

fabric

face

facility

fact

factor

factory

faculty

fade

fail

failure

fair

fairly

faith

fall

false

familiar

family

famous

fan

fantasy

far

farm

farmer

fashion

fast

fat

fate

father

fault

favor

favorite

fear

feature

federal

fee

feed

feel

feeling

fellow

female

fence

few

fewer

fiber

fiction

field

fifteen

fifth

fifty

fight

fighter

fighting

figure

file

fill

film

final

finally

finance

financial

find

finding

fine

finger

finish

fire

firm

first

fish

fishing

fit

fitness

five

fix

flag

flame

flat

flavor

flee

flesh

flight

float

floor

flow

flower

fly

focus

folk

follow

following

food

foot

football

for

force

foreign

forest

forever

forget

form

formal

formation

former

formula

forth

fortune

forward

found

foundation

founder

four

fourth

frame

framework

free

freedom

freeze

French

frequency

frequent

frequently

fresh

friend

friendly

friendship

from

front

fruit

frustration

fuel

full

fully

fun

function

fund

fundamental

funding

funeral

funny

furniture

furthermore

future

Words starting with G

gain

galaxy

gallery

game

gang

gap

garage

garden

garlic

gas

gate

gather

gay

gaze

gear

gender

gene

general

generally

generate

generation

genetic

gentleman

gently

German

gesture

get

ghost

giant

gift

gifted

girl

girlfriend

give

given

glad

glance

glass

global

glove

go

goal

God

gold

golden

golf

good

government

governor

grab

grade

gradually

graduate

grain

grand

grandfather

grandmother

grant

grass

grave

gray

great

greatest

green

grocery

ground

group

grow

growing

growth

guarantee

guard

guess

guest

guide

guideline

guilty

gun

guy

Words starting with H

habit

habitat

hair

half

hall

hand

handful

handle

hang

happen

happy

hard

hardly

hat

hate

have

he

head

headline

headquarters

health

healthy

hear

hearing

heart

heat

heaven

heavily

heavy

heel

height

helicopter

hell

hello

help

helpful

her

here

heritage

hero

herself

hey

hi

hide

high

highlight

highly

highway

hill

him

himself

hip

hire

his

historian

historic

historical

history

hit

hold

hole

holiday

holy

home

homeless

honest

honey

honor

hope

horizon

horror

horse

hospital

host

hot

hotel

hour

house

household

housing

how

however

huge

human

humor

hundred

hungry

hunter

hunting

hurt

husband

hypothesis

Words starting with I

I

ice

idea

ideal

identification

identify

identity

ie

if

ignore

ill

illegal

illness

illustrate

image

imagination

imagine

immediate

immediately

immigrant

immigration

impact

implement

implication

imply

importance

important

impose

impossible

impress

impression

impressive

improve

improvement

in

incentive

incident

include

including

income

incorporate

increase

increased

increasing

increasingly

incredible

indeed

independence

independent

index

Indian

indicate

indication

individual

industrial

industry

infant

infection

inflation

influence

inform

information

ingredient

initial

initially

initiative

injury

inner

innocent

inquiry

inside

insight

insist

inspire

install

instance

instead

institution

institutional

instruction

instructor

instrument

insurance

intellectual

intelligence

intend

intense

intensity

intention

interaction

interest

interested

interesting

internal

international

Internet

interpret

interpretation

intervention

interview

into

introduce

introduction

invasion

invest

investigate

investigation

investigator

investment

investor

invite

involve

involved

involvement

Iraqi

Irish

iron

Islamic

island

Israeli

issue

it

Italian

item

its

itself

Words starting with J

jacket

jail

Japanese

jet

Jew

Jewish

job

join

joint

joke

journal

journalist

journey

joy

judge

judgment

juice

jump

junior

jury

just

justice

justify

Words starting with K

keep

key

kick

kid

kill

killer

killing

kind

king

kiss

kitchen

knee

knife

knock

know

knowledge

Words starting with L

lab

label

labor

laboratory

lack

lady

lake

land

landscape

language

lap

large

largely

last

late

later

Latin

latter

laugh

launch

law

lawn

lawsuit

lawyer

lay

layer

lead

leader

leadership

leading

leaf

league

lean

learn

learning

least

leather

leave

left

leg

legacy

legal

legend

legislation

legitimate

lemon

length

less

lesson

let

letter

level

liberal

library

license

lie

life

lifestyle

lifetime

lift

light

like

likely

limit

limitation

limited

line

link

lip

list

listen

literally

literary

literature

little

live

living

load

loan

local

locate

location

lock

long

long-term

look

loose

lose

loss

lost

lot

lots

loud

love

lovely

lover

low

lower

luck

lucky

lunch

lung

Words starting with M

machine

mad

magazine

mail

main

mainly

maintain

maintenance

major

majority

make

maker

makeup

male

mall

man

manage

management

manager

manner

manufacturer

manufacturing

many

map

margin

mark

market

marketing

marriage

married

marry

mask

mass

massive

master

match

material

math

matter

may

maybe

mayor

me

meal

mean

meaning

meanwhile

measure

measurement

meat

mechanism

media

medical

medication

medicine

medium

meet

meeting

member

membership

memory

mental

mention

menu

mere

merely

mess

message

metal

meter

method

Mexican

middle

might

military

milk

million

mind

mine

minister

minor

minority

minute

miracle

mirror

miss

missile

mission

mistake

mix

mixture

mm-hmm

mode

model

moderate

modern

modest

mom

moment

money

monitor

month

mood

moon

moral

more

moreover

morning

mortgage

most

mostly

mother

motion

motivation

motor

mount

mountain

mouse

mouth

move

movement

movie

Mr

Mrs

Ms

much

multiple

murder

muscle

museum

music

musical

musician

Muslim

must

mutual

my

myself

mystery

myth

Words starting with N

naked

name

narrative

narrow

nation

national

native

natural

naturally

nature

near

nearby

nearly

necessarily

necessary

neck

need

negative

negotiate

negotiation

neighbor

neighborhood

neither

nerve

nervous

net

network

never

nevertheless

new

newly

news

newspaper

next

nice

night

nine

no

nobody

nod

noise

nomination

none

nonetheless

nor

normal

normally

north

northern

nose

not

note

nothing

notice

notion

novel

now

nowhere

n’t

nuclear

number

numerous

nurse

nut

Words starting with O

object

objective

obligation

observation

observe

observer

obtain

obvious

obviously

occasion

occasionally

occupation

occupy

occur

ocean

odd

odds

of

off

offense

offensive

offer

office

officer

official

often

oh

oil

ok

okay

old

Olympic

on

once

one

ongoing

onion

online

only

onto

open

opening

operate

operating

operation

operator

opinion

opponent

opportunity

oppose

opposite

opposition

option

or

orange

order

ordinary

organic

organization

organize

orientation

origin

original

originally

other

others

otherwise

ought

our

ourselves

out

outcome

outside

oven

over

overall

overcome

overlook

owe

own

owner

Words starting with P

pace

pack

package

page

pain

painful

paint

painter

painting

pair

pale

Palestinian

palm

pan

panel

pant

paper

parent

park

parking

part

participant

participate

participation

particular

particularly

partly

partner

partnership

party

pass

passage

passenger

passion

past

patch

path

patient

pattern

pause

pay

payment

PC

peace

peak

peer

penalty

people

pepper

per

perceive

percentage

perception

perfect

perfectly

perform

performance

perhaps

period

permanent

permission

permit

person

personal

personality

personally

personnel

perspective

persuade

pet

phase

phenomenon

philosophy

phone

photo

photograph

photographer

phrase

physical

physically

physician

piano

pick

picture

pie

piece

pile

pilot

pine

pink

pipe

pitch

place

plan

plane

planet

planning

plant

plastic

plate

platform

play

player

please

pleasure

plenty

plot

plus

PM

pocket

poem

poet

poetry

point

pole

police

policy

political

politically

politician

politics

poll

pollution

pool

poor

pop

popular

population

porch

port

portion

portrait

portray

pose

position

positive

possess

possibility

possible

possibly

post

pot

potato

potential

potentially

pound

pour

poverty

powder

power

powerful

practical

practice

pray

prayer

precisely

predict

prefer

preference

pregnancy

pregnant

preparation

prepare

prescription

presence

present

presentation

preserve

president

presidential

press

pressure

pretend

pretty

prevent

previous

previously

price

pride

priest

primarily

primary

prime

principal

principle

print

prior

priority

prison

prisoner

privacy

private

probably

problem

procedure

proceed

process

produce

producer

product

production

profession

professional

professor

profile

profit

program

progress

project

prominent

promise

promote

prompt

proof

proper

properly

property

proportion

proposal

propose

proposed

prosecutor

prospect

protect

protection

protein

protest

proud

prove

provide

provider

province

provision

psychological

psychologist

psychology

public

publication

publicly

publish

publisher

pull

punishment

purchase

pure

purpose

pursue

push

put

Words starting with Q

qualify

quality

quarter

quarterback

question

quick

quickly

quiet

quietly

quit

quite

quote

Words starting with R

race

racial

radical

radio

rail

rain

raise

range

rank

rapid

rapidly

rare

rarely

rate

rather

rating

ratio

raw

reach

react

reaction

read

reader

reading

ready

real

reality

realize

really

reason

reasonable

recall

receive

recent

recently

recipe

recognition

recognize

recommend

recommendation

record

recording

recover

recovery

recruit

red

reduce

reduction

refer

reference

reflect

reflection

reform

refugee

refuse

regard

regarding

regardless

regime

region

regional

register

regular

regularly

regulate

regulation

reinforce

reject

relate

relation

relationship

relative

relatively

relax

release

relevant

relief

religion

religious

rely

remain

remaining

remarkable

remember

remind

remote

remove

repeat

repeatedly

replace

reply

report

reporter

represent

representation

representative

Republican

reputation

request

require

requirement

research

researcher

resemble

reservation

resident

resist

resistance

resolution

resolve

resort

resource

respect

respond

respondent

response

responsibility

responsible

rest

restaurant

restore

restriction

result

retain

retire

retirement

return

reveal

revenue

review

revolution

rhythm

rice

rich

rid

ride

rifle

right

ring

rise

risk

river

road

rock

role

roll

romantic

roof

room

root

rope

rose

rough

roughly

round

route

routine

row

rub

rule

run

running

rural

rush

Russian

Words starting with S

sacred

sad

safe

safety

sake

salad

salary

sale

sales

salt

same

sample

sanction

sand

satellite

satisfaction

satisfy

sauce

save

saving

say

scale

scandal

scared

scenario

scene

schedule

scheme

scholar

scholarship

school

science

scientific

scientist

scope

score

scream

screen

script

sea

search

season

seat

second

secret

secretary

section

sector

secure

security

see

seed

seek

seem

segment

seize

select

selection

self

sell

Senate

senator

send

senior

sense

sensitive

sentence

separate

sequence

series

serious

seriously

serve

service

session

set

setting

settle

settlement

seven

several

severe

sex

sexual

shade

shadow

shake

shall

shape

share

sharp

she

sheet

shelf

shell

shelter

shift

shine

ship

shirt

shit

shock

shoe

shoot

shooting

shop

shopping

shore

short

shortly

shot

should

shoulder

shout

show

shower

shrug

shut

sick

side

sigh

sight

sign

signal

significance

significant

significantly

silence

silent

silver

similar

similarly

simple

simply

sin

since

sing

singer

single

sink

sir

sister

sit

site

situation

six

size

ski

skill

skin

sky

slave

sleep

slice

slide

slight

slightly

slip

slow

slowly

small

smart

smell

smile

smoke

smooth

snap

snow

so

so-called

soccer

social

society

soft

software

soil

solar

soldier

solid

solution

solve

some

somebody

somehow

someone

something

sometimes

somewhat

somewhere

son

song

soon

sophisticated

sorry

sort

soul

sound

soup

source

south

southern

Soviet

space

Spanish

speak

speaker

special

specialist

species

specific

specifically

speech

speed

spend

spending

spin

spirit

spiritual

split

spokesman

sport

spot

spread

spring

square

squeeze

stability

stable

staff

stage

stair

stake

stand

standard

standing

star

stare

start

state

statement

station

statistics

status

stay

steady

steal

steel

step

stick

still

stir

stock

stomach

stone

stop

storage

store

storm

story

straight

strange

stranger

strategic

strategy

stream

street

strength

strengthen

stress

stretch

strike

string

strip

stroke

strong

strongly

structure

struggle

student

studio

study

stuff

stupid

style

subject

submit

subsequent

substance

substantial

succeed

success

successful

successfully

such

sudden

suddenly

sue

suffer

sufficient

sugar

suggest

suggestion

suicide

suit

summer

summit

sun

super

supply

support

supporter

suppose

supposed

Supreme

sure

surely

surface

surgery

surprise

surprised

surprising

surprisingly

surround

survey

survival

survive

survivor

suspect

sustain

swear

sweep

sweet

swim

swing

switch

symbol

symptom

system

Words starting with T

table

tablespoon

tactic

tail

take

tale

talent

talk

tall

tank

tap

tape

target

task

taste

tax

taxpayer

tea

teach

teacher

teaching

team

tear

teaspoon

technical

technique

technology

teen

teenager

telephone

telescope

television

tell

temperature

temporary

ten

tend

tendency

tennis

tension

tent

term

terms

terrible

territory

terror

terrorism

terrorist

test

testify

testimony

testing

text

than

thank

thanks

that

the

theater

their

them

theme

themselves

then

theory

therapy

there

therefore

these

they

thick

thin

thing

think

thinking

third

thirty

this

those

though

thought

thousand

threat

threaten

three

throat

through

throughout

throw

thus

ticket

tie

tight

time

tiny

tip

tire

tired

tissue

title

to

tobacco

today

toe

together

tomato

tomorrow

tone

tongue

tonight

too

tool

tooth

top

topic

toss

total

totally

touch

tough

tour

tourist

tournament

toward

towards

tower

town

toy

trace

track

trade

tradition

traditional

traffic

tragedy

trail

train

training

transfer

transform

transformation

transition

translate

transportation

travel

treat

treatment

treaty

tree

tremendous

trend

trial

tribe

trick

trip

troop

trouble

truck

true

truly

trust

truth

try

tube

tunnel

turn

TV

twelve

twenty

twice

twin

two

type

typical

typically

Words starting with U

ugly

ultimate

ultimately

unable

uncle

under

undergo

understand

understanding

unfortunately

uniform

union

unique

unit

United

universal

universe

university

unknown

unless

unlike

unlikely

until

unusual

up

upon

upper

urban

urge

us

use

used

useful

user

usual

usually

utility

Words starting with V

vacation

valley

valuable

value

variable

variation

variety

various

vary

vast

vegetable

vehicle

venture

version

versus

very

vessel

veteran

via

victim

victory

video

view

viewer

village

violate

violation

violence

violent

virtually

virtue

virus

visible

vision

visit

visitor

visual

vital

voice

volume

volunteer

vote

voter

vs

vulnerable

Words starting with W

wage

wait

wake

walk

wall

wander

want

war

warm

warn

warning

wash

waste

watch

water

wave

way

we

weak

wealth

wealthy

weapon

wear

weather

wedding

week

weekend

weekly

weigh

weight

welcome

welfare

well

west

western

wet

what

whatever

wheel

when

whenever

where

whereas

whether

which

while

whisper

white

who

whole

whom

whose

why

wide

widely

widespread

wife

wild

will

willing

win

wind

window

wine

wing

winner

winter

wipe

wire

wisdom

wise

wish

with

withdraw

within

without

witness

woman

wonder

wonderful

wood

wooden

word

work

worker

working

works

workshop

world

worried

worry

worth

would

wound

wrap

write

writer

writing

wrong

Words starting with Y

yard

yeah

year

yell

yellow

yes

yesterday

yet

yield

you

young

your

yours

yourself

youth

Words starting with Z

zone


Did anything on this list surprise you? What new words will you be adding to your English vocabulary?

Post your answers in the comments below!

Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith is an English Communication Coach based in Vancouver, Canada. He's the founder of Learn English Every Day, and he's on a mission to help millions of people speak English with confidence. If you want longer video content, please follow me on YouTube for fun English lessons and helpful learning resources!

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