A: The "Red Words" (most frequent 2,500) are free on the Macmillan website. The full 7,500 is sometimes behind a paywall or found via academic library access.
| Feature | Macmillan 7500 | Oxford 3000/5000 | NGSL (New General Service List) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | 7,500 | 5,000 | 2,800 | | Corpus Size | 200+ million | 2 billion | 273 million | | Best For | C1/C2 Exams (Advanced) | B1/B2 (Intermediate) | Basic Travel (A2) | | Stars System | Yes (3 tiers) | Yes (Common/Advanced) | No | | Current Edition | Updated 2016 | Updated 2020 | Updated 2019 | macmillan 7500 words list pdf
The Oxford list is excellent for high school English. The Macmillan list is superior for university preparation and professional fluency because it includes the "long tail" of academic vocabulary. Part 9: Success Stories – Real Learners, Real Results Maria, IELTS Candidate (São Paulo, Brazil): "I was stuck at Band 6.5 for Writing. I downloaded the macmillan 7500 words list pdf and realized I was using 'childish' words. I focused on the 1-star list for 8 weeks. I learned 'consequently' instead of 'so,' and 'purchase' instead of 'buy.' My next score was 7.5." A: The "Red Words" (most frequent 2,500) are