I composed some lists of words for maximum vividness of random imagery in minimal letters, then wrote shell scripts to generate random combinations of them, vaguely like ars magna Lulli.
This is potentially useful for encoding passwords or secure content hashes, or naming novel concepts in a terse way that collides with minimal existing terminology; “ehate” or “godfat” may not be a good choice, but “medry” or “linhag” might be okay, especially if you work a digit in there somewhere. “Linhag” is just an encoding of the random number 322442 in base 661, but I’m probably not alone in having an easier time attaching a novel meaning to “linhag” than to “322442”. Plus, it’s easier to type.
This is a potentially serious pareidolia hazard for anyone who has taken a lot of psychedelics or just has natural psychotic tendencies. Readers in these categories should abstain from reading this in order to avoid delusions that this document contains secret messages from God, extraterrestrials, transdimensional machine elves, or the CIA. Selecting short words uniformly with a PRNG can’t compete for pareidolia with ELIZA or GPT-2, but it's definitely good enough to evoke vivid mental imagery.
Try-hat oat-egg lin-hag apt-zen hip-ale sag-pry if-egg way-ho out-neo poo-bud ask-emo tip-poo neo-fry flu-cis bye-kev dog-pug cab-try sun-len cod-foe ex-won wye-dad ash-art or-par lit-oaf min-met lad-tab fop-dub ack-hit elf-run keg-ha few-pun nor-git!
Here’s a list of 661 of the 4031 three-letter words that occurred 5 times or more in the British National Corpus. I’ve tried to remove non-words, abbreviations and acronyms not usually pronounced (including “mrs”), and things that aren’t in most native English speakers’ vocabularies, as well as the most offensive words, like “fag”, “wog”, “nig”, and “gyp”. However, there are still lots of things in there that might offend someone, including but not limited to “god”, “ass”, “tit”, “vag”, “goy”, “rim”, “gag”, “fat”, “fop”, “pus”, “gay”, and “fap”. I’ve left in many proper nouns (unfortunately not capitalized, due to the source) as well as some morphemes that are especially productive in modern English, like “neo”, “eco”, and “tri”.
This is not suitable as a word-game list for ruling words in or out. The words do not all have distinct pronunciations, so it is not a good alternative to the various “biometric word lists” out there like the S/Key word list.
Selecting one word from this list with uniform probability encodes 9.37 bits of entropy; if we follow it with a space, that’s 4 bytes, and thus 2.34 bits per character.
Example three-word sequences:
$ for i in $(seq 10); do echo $(shuf -n 3 3-letter-words | awk '{print $2}'); done
key hem sun
fly tag tom
wad bay dow
emo ned boo
vie fen kev
tri fen ben
jug mat mid
ben sag ill
pan sim tit
bic doh one
Not all of thes are hits, but it’s presumably easy to imagine Emo Ned booing, Ben of three swamps, a jug in the middle of a mat, or a pan that simulates a breast.
Pairs of these words usually form a pronounceable nonexistent English word:
$ echo $(for i in $(seq 10); do echo $(shuf -n 2 3-letter-words |
awk '{print $2}') | tr -d ' '; done)
gagkim godfat kinoff yenflu cadice forvex gunark tonroc legten negeco
Here’s the list:
6187927 the
2682878 and
923975 was
836687 for
695595 you
470949 are
462777 not
455906 but
445396 had
433599 his
380284 she
327014 her
262447 all
259443 has
236364 one
236165 can
206627 who
165016 him
163106 its
156114 two
151629 out
143429 did
137814 now
128513 may
125206 new
124108 any
118641 see
101517 how
99506 get
96280 way
95006 our
81601 got
71143 own
70169 too
67862 say
60680 day
60612 yes
60358 man
59364 use
55001 put
54610 old
50877 why
48851 off
48189 end
38892 men
38769 set
33752 yet
30379 six
27882 war
27873 car
26734 saw
25918 let
25486 far
25346 law
24712 big
22944 act
22803 job
21803 age
21377 run
20935 try
20419 pay
20274 ten
19810 ago
19401 ask
19161 few
19047 air
18885 god
18820 sir
18483 lot
15873 bed
15695 tax
15087 top
14816 art
14792 cut
14247 bad
13539 per
13290 boy
12985 bit
12857 son
12776 sea
12766 red
12470 nor
12394 low
12329 buy
10950 sat
10817 met
10520 cup
10243 oil
9930 led
9690 lay
9552 eye
9166 arm
9157 win
8859 hot
8766 sun
8742 ran
8710 box
8703 sit
8619 tea
8497 won
8316 sex
8238 add
8165 aid
8063 dog
7939 key
7882 mum
7750 bar
7549 eat
7328 gas
7169 hit
6846 dad
6623 dry
6499 fit
6101 aim
6040 due
5463 die
5343 leg
5299 bus
5166 aye
5063 tom
4984 sky
4909 bag
4762 net
4647 via
4630 row
4610 lie
4567 ooh
4482 odd
4481 bob
4341 sum
4337 joe
4323 jim
4242 van
4009 guy
3933 ref
3862 cat
3839 ice
3821 pub
3783 map
3686 lee
3491 gun
3443 sad
3422 bid
3401 tim
3335 gap
3270 fly
3228 wet
3163 ken
3150 mad
3150 ben
3137 hat
3131 sam
3106 bay
2990 pop
2987 cry
2876 ear
2837 fee
2781 joy
2770 wan
2745 fun
2717 ban
2678 bet
2616 rid
2583 aha
2582 ill
2509 egg
2472 raw
2425 san
2395 tie
2391 sue
2390 fat
2382 vat
2239 mix
2222 tip
2155 era
2120 pen
2020 pot
2011 tin
1985 ray
1950 ann
1921 mud
1895 lad
1884 pat
1864 gay
1806 cap
1784 roy
1767 fox
1765 bye
1760 ira
1759 hey
1756 ate
1720 pan
1717 don
1716 les
1688 kid
1686 liz
1684 tap
1648 fed
1646 fig
1535 pit
1511 kit
1480 rob
1466 lit
1445 yer
1430 fan
1425 cab
1420 jan
1410 eve
1392 inn
1375 max
1369 lip
1369 ham
1355 ali
1352 fix
1320 sin
1317 yep
1314 oak
1305 ace
1303 bow
1298 jet
1269 kim
1264 owe
1257 cow
1255 lap
1204 rod
1188 log
1175 shy
1172 dot
1159 pie
1155 fry
1143 ted
1123 pig
1119 pin
1112 ash
1087 lid
1083 wee
1057 von
1032 hut
1010 lea
1000 dig
989 owl
976 jaw
974 dan
959 bat
950 dos
947 par
942 rat
941 dug
939 non
928 fog
914 ron
896 leo
895 ego
872 fur
869 meg
858 rex
856 hay
847 wit
835 pet
821 gut
809 kin
808 dim
795 del
781 beg
780 jam
771 arc
748 bin
738 nil
734 vic
729 fax
723 ski
721 ram
714 mug
706 hip
699 nod
695 pro
694 hid
687 spy
682 min
681 axe
679 amp
671 icy
666 rug
651 zoo
651 mac
650 thy
649 ink
646 nut
644 dee
640 rub
639 opt
630 vet
628 pad
628 apt
626 lou
614 rev
608 eva
605 dip
601 jar
600 toe
588 web
585 mob
585 ale
578 cox
576 ads
570 flu
569 wax
566 gig
564 toy
553 lab
552 wed
551 jug
551 huh
549 peg
546 dam
545 rim
543 gel
542 pal
528 tag
528 ivy
527 yen
526 sly
523 bee
521 mid
521 mat
521 amy
518 rio
510 spa
510 awe
506 tug
503 gin
502 fen
501 pam
493 rot
492 tee
486 den
482 ton
478 wow
472 mam
466 len
464 ore
459 nan
455 kay
455 con
453 val
451 cot
450 ion
449 rig
449 doo
446 hen
445 nun
443 wry
443 ant
435 loo
434 rag
423 sod
422 hop
419 jew
404 sid
404 cue
402 sic
394 tan
389 sub
386 rue
383 rum
383 jon
382 cod
377 bum
376 dye
375 sec
375 gum
375 cop
374 cam
371 rib
367 jed
367 bud
367 abu
365 zen
365 rip
364 gym
363 tow
359 duo
348 sip
347 rye
343 hal
339 mod
336 bra
332 jay
331 kev
327 hum
325 doe
325 doc
324 mao
323 ono
320 hug
317 zip
315 wig
310 mel
308 hon
306 woo
297 zoe
297 rap
297 fin
295 bug
295 ass
293 nay
293 bog
291 tub
289 cis
283 hem
278 lag
278 foe
278 dup
270 ebb
262 dun
261 mop
260 sow
258 nip
258 bun
257 chi
254 hub
248 rep
247 gem
245 wes
245 lyn
242 pip
242 gee
242 dew
239 tab
233 ned
230 fir
226 nah
224 wye
222 aah
221 din
220 sob
220 lib
219 boo
217 ark
214 vow
214 roe
209 sap
209 ida
205 tit
205 hue
205 elf
205 coy
205 ape
204 ugh
203 yew
202 hun
200 tar
200 sew
193 elm
191 jen
190 pod
190 git
187 cal
186 nos
185 vax
181 alf
179 ada
178 paw
178 cad
176 pre
173 lax
172 oft
172 dis
169 pup
167 ole
167 koi
166 nap
165 pic
164 pep
163 jog
163 emu
160 pea
154 sib
154 lob
153 eel
151 pol
149 tor
149 rem
146 gag
145 lac
144 jot
142 lin
140 eco
139 hob
138 sac
138 pew
135 wad
135 orc
135 aft
132 pee
132 ewe
130 mom
128 vie
127 dab
127 cob
124 yum
124 tot
123 pun
122 hog
121 viv
121 orb
121 dub
120 tho
120 app
118 jab
116 gal
116 cub
115 cum
114 ado
111 yea
109 jig
108 sag
108 imp
108 ere
106 ply
105 yon
104 urn
104 mag
104 hee
103 fro
102 pap
101 soy
100 dow
99 gus
99 bey
98 sis
98 fad
96 rut
95 nag
95 hag
94 pus
94 alt
93 woe
93 doh
90 pow
90 fay
89 dev
86 ops
85 wag
82 pry
82 pox
81 yuk
81 bib
80 tat
80 ode
79 ilk
78 abe
75 hah
71 zia
71 sax
71 hoe
70 lam
70 kip
70 keg
69 lei
66 goo
65 oar
65 mic
64 sci
64 fab
62 mow
61 sim
60 poo
59 arf
58 jib
58 bop
58 alp
57 tic
57 ire
56 nab
56 gob
56 cog
54 cud
51 maw
50 tad
50 jag
49 ohm
48 aba
46 ail
45 boa
45 biz
44 lex
44 fob
43 yow
43 rad
43 mah
42 wok
42 sop
42 roc
42 phi
42 lug
42 ent
41 awl
38 dud
38 caw
38 bro
37 pug
34 zap
33 bio
33 bic
32 fez
31 yaw
31 nib
30 yak
30 jut
29 fop
28 lux
27 bah
26 zed
26 oaf
26 moo
25 tau
24 tri
24 gab
24 fib
23 ska
23 hex
21 zig
21 elk
20 mew
20 het
20 geo
19 fap
18 oat
18 neo
17 nix
17 hew
17 fam
17 erg
15 uzi
15 foo
14 yap
13 tox
13 org
13 lye
12 yup
12 vex
12 naw
12 fie
12 fem
12 boi
11 vag
11 lol
11 emo
9 kia
9 bub
8 tux
8 roo
8 hod
8 hep
6 goy
6 gnu
6 ack
5 zit
5 neg
5 glo
Of the 577 two-letter words with 5 or more occurrences, I selected 46; a uniform selection encodes 5.52 bits, and so, in three bytes, 1.84 bits per byte. This is slightly lower entropy density than the three-letter list; concatenating them produces a tiny increase in entropy density, and breaks up monospace monotony a lot, but the more useful use for this list is for when you really want a six-byte or five-letter phrase instead of a six-letter or seven-byte phrase, and 14.9 bits of entropy is enough.
Some randomly generated phrases:
$ for i in $(seq 10); do
echo $((shuf -n 1 2-letter-words; shuf -n 1 3-letter-words) | awk '{print $2}')
done
me dry
ad rim
eh ate
am val
ha paw
us pew
go for
or war
me sob
on gay
$ for i in $(seq 10); do
echo $((shuf -n 2-letter-words; shuf -n 2 3-letter-words) | awk '{print $2}')
done
my cat sum
of phi ilk
we zip pay
ax zoo bun
am dow yer
ax zen few
it met map
if led roy
be aah ray
do why lin
$ for i in $(seq 10); do
echo $(cat 2-letter-words 3-letter-words | shuf -n 3 | awk '{print $2}')
done
new bow pig
yak jig dos
zed koi joe
oil or sir
imp am far
din wes san
cod ken cal
pi mao mow
ah me hal
fad lyn of
$ for i in $(seq 50); do echo $(cat 2-letter-words 3-letter-words | shuf -n 2
| awk '{print $2}') | tr -d ' '; done | fmt
wadmad nawfem ayeeel saddog leehop butail deldoc devgit bussag titpry
bitgit skitau bebus putwin owpup hisbiz irakin hadoc tryan yukugh jibaah
leetho jugpea yerhis yakpeg actaid feewed zoomod incox rexfib dohyak
niltry toothe ranrot dandup uziram toymat lowow ahaam beelie dinent
awemet gutbop suedie poomoo dunspa oarlaw dubyea inktom lidrob
$ for i in $(seq 32); do echo $(cat 2-letter-words 3-letter-words | shuf -n 2
| awk '{print $2}') | tr ' ' '-'; done | fmt
try-hat oat-egg lin-hag apt-zen hip-ale sag-pry if-egg way-ho out-neo
poo-bud ask-emo tip-poo neo-fry flu-cis bye-kev dog-pug cab-try sun-len
cod-foe ex-won wye-dad ash-art or-par lit-oaf min-met lad-tab fop-dub
ack-hit elf-run keg-ha few-pun nor-git
This is the list:
2941790 of
2544858 to
1849882 in
1089559 it
998867 is
697406 on
681379 he
664780 be
507370 by
478178 at
406705 as
370855 or
358792 we
344046 an
280701 do
237107 if
212158 so
209943 no
156837 up
152626 my
139028 me
90161 go
78198 us
68437 oh
26872 am
10091 ah
4721 un
4436 co
3618 ha
3492 eh
2860 ok
2005 ad
1700 ye
1490 di
1043 ho
1026 hi
834 ex
615 pi
476 vs
420 id
304 ow
192 ox
173 mu
65 ax
60 om
20 ew
A better tradeoff for the password or content-hash cases is probably to use the 2048 most common English words of five letters or less, which can encode 24 bits of randomness in two words, rather than only 18.7; with my wordlist, for example, 7362508 is “bent ash”, 609933 is “why stud”, and 11152019 is “ropes cia”. A 48-bit password, which is reasonably strong for many purposes if combined with a good PBKDF, might be “karen sped ah cell”, which I think is a little more memorable than “gas jug bad bye hee” or “yon sic ow boi mop”, which are about the same strength.