Which letters are used most frequently in English?

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One letter is used more than any other in the English language - and by a surprising distance.

  • E makes up 12.49% of the total. 
  • This is followed by T with 9.28% 
  • A (8.4%) is a close third.

Why these letters?

  • The gold and bronze medalists are both vowels. Every standard English word has a vowel - only psst appears in the OED. Psst would not be on most lists of standard words!
  • T is the most popular consonant - but its silent form is increasingly used in spoken English. 
  • E is the champion in other languages, too. In 1969, George Perec wrote La Disparition, in French, without using the letter once. The detective novel was then translated into English (with the title A Void) by Gilbert Adair. The English version was also e free.
Both versions were completed before Find and Replace made the task a lot easier. 

More on this topic here.