220 words?

61 pages of text in The Cat in the Hat and more than 1500 words, but it reportedly only uses 220 words. Well, I counted them and came up with 217 the first time, but I found some errors. The second time I came up with 235 and I have a lot more confidence in this number.

Then I tried combining the counts for plurals ("game" and "games") and for possessives ("mother" and "mother's") with the root word and came up with 221 -- much closer to the 220 word claim.

Count Plurals and Possessives
Separately
Count Plurals and Possessives
as Root Word
Vocabulary:     235 words
Length    :    1557 words
 word num   freq    word
     1       32     a
     2        3     about
     3        1     after
     4       14     all
     5        1     always
     6       69     and
     7        2     another
     8        1     any
     9        4     are
    10        9     as
    11        1     asked
    12       13     at
    13        6     away
    14        2     back
    15        1     bad
    16        5     ball
    17        7     be
    18        1     bed
    19        1     bent
    20        2     bet
    21        5     big
    22        3     bit
    23        1     bite
    24        1     book
    25        3     books
    26        1     bow
    27        6     box
    28        9     bump
    29        1     bumps
    30        9     but
    31        4     cake
    32        2     call
    33        6     came
    34       14     can
    35       24     cat
    36        3     cold
    37        2     come
    38        4     could
    39        4     cup
    40        4     day
    41        2     dear
    42        2     deep
    43       10     did
    44        2     dish
    45       24     do
    46        1     dots
    47        9     down
    48        2     fall
    49        4     fan
    50        5     fast
    51        4     fear
    52        2     fell
    53        2     find
    54       17     fish
    55        2     fly
    56        1     for
    57        1     fox
    58        1     from
    59        7     fun
    60        1     funny
    61        5     game
    62        1     games
    63        1     gave
    64        4     get
    65        1     give
    66        5     go
    67        2     gone
    68        9     good
    69        3     gown
    70        4     had
    71        2     hall
    72        1     hand
    73        3     hands
    74        1     has
    75       13     hat
    76       10     have
    77       18     he
    78        2     head
    79        2     hear
    80        6     her
    81        7     here
    82        1     high
    83        3     him
    84        3     his
    85        1     hit
    86        7     hold
    87        1     home
    88        3     hook
    89        2     hop
    90        1     hops
    91       10     house
    92        4     how
    93       57     i
    94        3     if
    95       28     in
    96        1     into
    97       21     is
    98       13     it
    99        1     jump
   100        1     jumps
   101        1     kicks
   102        1     kind
   103        1     kinds
   104        2     kite
   105        3     kites
   106        9     know
   107        1     last
   108        2     let
   109       14     like
   110        1     lit
   111        6     little
   112       16     look
   113        2     looked
   114        2     lot
   115        1     lots
   116        1     made
   117        2     make
   118        1     man
   119        1     mat
   120        6     me
   121        3     mess
   122        3     milk
   123        1     mind
   124       12     mother
   125        1     mother's
   126        8     my
   127        1     near
   128        4     net
   129        4     new
   130       13     no
   131       39     not
   132        1     nothing
   133        9     now
   134       15     of
   135       13     oh
   136       17     on
   137       12     one
   138       11     our
   139       10     out
   140        1     pack
   141        1     pat
   142        4     pick
   143        1     picked
   144        1     pink
   145        6     play
   146        1     playthings
   147        2     plop
   148        5     pot
   149        3     put
   150        3     rake
   151        5     ran
   152        3     red
   153        1     rid
   154        1     run
   155        1     sad
   156       35     said
   157        6     sally
   158        2     sank
   159        4     sat
   160        9     saw
   161        5     say
   162        2     see
   163        2     shake
   164        3     shame
   165        6     she
   166        1     shine
   167        4     ship
   168        3     shook
   169       11     should
   170        4     show
   171        2     shut
   172        5     sit
   173       16     so
   174        4     some
   175        5     something
   176        1     stand
   177        1     step
   178        1     stop
   179        1     string
   180        1     strings
   181        2     sun
   182        1     sunny
   183        1     tail
   184        2     take
   185        1     tall
   186        2     tame
   187        4     tell
   188       24     that
   189       93     the
   190        2     their
   191       11     them
   192       20     then
   193        6     there
   194        5     these
   195       15     they
   196       12     thing
   197       18     things
   198        1     think
   199       15     this
   200        5     those
   201        2     thump
   202        1     thumps
   203        2     tip
   204       31     to
   205        4     too
   206        2     top
   207        4     toy
   208        2     trick
   209        3     tricks
   210       15     two
   211       17     up
   212        6     us
   213        2     wall
   214        2     want
   215        6     was
   216        4     way
   217       25     we
   218        1     well
   219        4     went
   220        1     were
   221        7     wet
   222       14     what
   223        3     when
   224        1     white
   225        1     who
   226        2     why
   227       21     will
   228        2     wish
   229       22     with
   230        1     wood
   231        3     would
   232        1     yes
   233        1     yet
   234       32     you
   235        8     your
Vocabulary:     221 words
Length    :    1557 words
 word num   freq    word
     1       32     a
     2        3     about
     3        1     after
     4       14     all
     5        1     always
     6       69     and
     7        2     another
     8        1     any
     9        4     are
    10        9     as
    11        1     asked
    12       13     at
    13        6     away
    14        2     back
    15        1     bad
    16        5     ball
    17        7     be
    18        1     bed
    19        1     bent
    20        2     bet
    21        5     big
    22        3     bit
    23        1     bite
    24        4     book / books
    25        1     bow
    26        6     box
    27       10     bump / bumps
    28        9     but
    29        4     cake
    30        2     call
    31        6     came
    32       14     can
    33       24     cat
    34        3     cold
    35        2     come
    36        4     could
    37        4     cup
    38        4     day
    39        2     dear
    40        2     deep
    41       10     did
    42        2     dish
    43       24     do
    44        1     dots
    45        9     down
    46        2     fall
    47        4     fan
    48        5     fast
    49        4     fear
    50        2     fell
    51        2     find
    52       17     fish
    53        2     fly
    54        1     for
    55        1     fox
    56        1     from
    57        7     fun
    58        1     funny
    59        6     game / games
    60        1     gave
    61        4     get
    62        1     give
    63        5     go
    64        2     gone
    65        9     good
    66        3     gown
    67        4     had
    68        2     hall
    69        4     hand / hands
    70        1     has
    71       13     hat
    72       10     have
    73       18     he
    74        2     head
    75        2     hear
    76        6     her
    77        7     here
    78        1     high
    79        3     him
    80        3     his
    81        1     hit
    82        7     hold
    83        1     home
    84        3     hook
    85        3     hop / hops
    86       10     house
    87        4     how
    88       57     i
    89        3     if
    90       28     in
    91        1     into
    92       21     is
    93       13     it
    94        2     jump / jumps
    95        1     kicks
    96        2     kind / kinds
    97        5     kite / kites
    98        9     know
    99        1     last
   100        2     let
   101       14     like
   102        1     lit
   103        6     little
   104       16     look
   105        2     looked
   106        3     lot / lots
   107        1     made
   108        2     make
   109        1     man
   110        1     mat
   111        6     me
   112        3     mess
   113        3     milk
   114        1     mind
   115       13     mother / mother's
   116        8     my
   117        1     near
   118        4     net
   119        4     new
   120       13     no
   121       39     not
   122        1     nothing
   123        9     now
   124       15     of
   125       13     oh
   126       17     on
   127       12     one
   128       11     our
   129       10     out
   130        1     pack
   131        1     pat
   132        4     pick
   133        1     picked
   134        1     pink
   135        6     play
   136        1     playthings
   137        2     plop
   138        5     pot
   139        3     put
   140        3     rake
   141        5     ran
   142        3     red
   143        1     rid
   144        1     run
   145        1     sad
   146       35     said
   147        6     sally
   148        2     sank
   149        4     sat
   150        9     saw
   151        5     say
   152        2     see
   153        2     shake
   154        3     shame
   155        6     she
   156        1     shine
   157        4     ship
   158        3     shook
   159       11     should
   160        4     show
   161        2     shut
   162        5     sit
   163       16     so
   164        4     some
   165        5     something
   166        1     stand
   167        1     step
   168        1     stop
   169        2     string / strings
   170        2     sun
   171        1     sunny
   172        1     tail
   173        2     take
   174        1     tall
   175        2     tame
   176        4     tell
   177       24     that
   178       93     the
   179        2     their
   180       11     them
   181       20     then
   182        6     there
   183        5     these
   184       15     they
   185       30     thing / things
   186        1     think
   187       15     this
   188        5     those
   189        3     thump / thumps
   190        2     tip
   191       31     to
   192        4     too
   193        2     top
   194        4     toy
   195        5     trick / tricks
   196       15     two
   197       17     up
   198        6     us
   199        2     wall
   200        2     want
   201        6     was
   202        4     way
   203       25     we
   204        1     well
   205        4     went
   206        1     were
   207        7     wet
   208       14     what
   209        3     when
   210        1     white
   211        1     who
   212        2     why
   213       21     will
   214        2     wish
   215       22     with
   216        1     wood
   217        3     would
   218        1     yes
   219        1     yet
   220       32     you
   221        8     your

Know any I missed? Know a different way to count them? Tell it to me!


Page created 25 July 2002.

Page updated 7 March 2003.