--- title: "BIP39 Word List PDF: Printable, Numbered (A4 & Letter)" url: "https://bip39-phrase.com/bip39-word-list-pdf/" language: "en" updated: "2026-10-16T00:00:00+00:00" --- # BIP39 Word List PDF: Printable and Numbered Updated October 16, 2026 The BIP39 English word list has exactly 2048 words. These PDFs put every word on paper with its number: a single sheet for A4 or US Letter, and an 8-page version in a larger font. The words come from the official [english.txt](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039/english.txt) in the bitcoin/bips repository and are checked against it byte for byte. - [One page, A4 (PDF)](/bip39-word-list-printable-a4.pdf) 16 columns of 128 words, about 5 pt text. A reference sheet for the whole list. - [One page, US Letter (PDF)](/bip39-word-list-printable-letter.pdf) The same sheet sized for 8.5 × 11 in paper. - [Large print, 8 pages (PDF)](/english-word-list.pdf) 256 words per page in 8 columns, easy to read at arm’s length (US Letter). For spreadsheets and code: [CSV](/wordlists/bip39-english.csv) (number, 0-based index, binary, hex, word) and [TXT](/wordlists/bip39-english.txt) (one word per line, identical to the official file). To read the list on screen, search it by word or number on the [BIP39 word list page](/#wordlist). ![The one-page printable BIP39 word list: 2048 numbered words in 16 columns](/images/bip39-word-list-printable-preview.webp) The A4 sheet, scaled down. ## How to print it - Print at 100% (“Actual size”), not “Fit to page”, so the one-page sheet keeps its margins and every column. - The one-page sheet uses text about 5 points high: a laser printer or a 600 dpi setting keeps it sharp. If you want to read words at a glance, print the 8-page version instead. - Check the result: 16 columns of 128 words, ending with number 2048, [zoo](/bip39-word/zoo/). ## Number or index? Printed lists, these PDFs included, count the words from 1 to 2048\. BIP39 itself works with 11-bit values from 0 to 2047, so wallet code and some tools show the index, which is the printed number minus one: [abandon](/bip39-word/abandon/) is number 1 and index 0 (binary 00000000000), zoo is number 2048 and index 2047 (binary 11111111111). If a tool or a backup plate asks for an index, subtract one. ## Check that it is the official list Download the [TXT file](/wordlists/bip39-english.txt) and compare its SHA-256 with the official english.txt; both are: `2f5eed53a4727b4bf8880d8f3f199efc90e58503646d9ff8eff3a2ed3b24dbda` On macOS or Linux, `shasum -a 256 bip39-english.txt` prints the hash. The English list has not changed since it was added to the repository on February 7, 2014, and it never will: changing a word would break every phrase that uses it. ## Word list PDFs in other languages BIP39 defines nine more official lists of 2048 words. Each has its own PDF, and its page has the searchable list with CSV, TXT and JSON downloads; for Russian there is no official list, so the PDF gives the English words with transcription and translation. - [Seznam slov BIP39 v češtině (PDF)](/word-list-cze.pdf) - [Liste de mots BIP39 en français (PDF)](/word-list-fre.pdf) - [Lista di parole BIP39 in italiano (PDF)](/word-list-ita.pdf) - [BIP39 日本語単語リスト（PDF）](/word-list-jpn.pdf) - [BIP39 한국어 단어 목록 (PDF)](/bip39-phrase-korean.pdf) - [Lista de palavras BIP39 em português (PDF)](/word-list-por.pdf) - [Lista de palabras BIP39 en español (PDF)](/word-list-spa.pdf) - [BIP39 繁體中文助記詞清單（PDF）](/word-list-chi.pdf) - [BIP39 简体中文助记词列表（PDF）](/word-list-zho.pdf) - [Слова BIP39 с транскрипцией и переводом (PDF)](/word-list-rus.pdf) ## Keep the printout apart from your phrase The word list is public, so the PDF holds no secrets. That changes the moment you mark it: a printout with your words circled, ticked or numbered is your seed phrase, readable by anyone who finds it. Write the phrase on its own card or stamp it in metal, and keep the list for reference; our guide on [how to store a seed phrase](/store-a-seed-phrase/) compares the options. ## BIP39 Word List PDF — Frequently Asked Questions Is there an official BIP39 word list PDF? No. The official list is a plain text file, english.txt, in the bitcoin/bips repository on GitHub, and every PDF of it, these included, is a copy made for reading or printing. Our TXT download is byte-for-byte that file, so you can check it by comparing SHA-256 hashes. Do the numbers start at 1 or at 0? The PDFs number the words 1 to 2048, like most printed lists. Wallet software works with the 11-bit index, which runs from 0 to 2047, so the index is always the printed number minus one: abandon is number 1 and index 0, zoo is number 2048 and index 2047. Can I print the word list in another language? Yes. Each language page has its own PDF, CSV and TXT downloads. For a real wallet, though, use the English list: BIP39 itself notes that most wallets support only English and discourages the other lists. Why do some backups keep only the first four letters? Every word in the English list is identified by its first four letters (short words by all of their letters), so no two words share them. That is why many metal backup plates have room for just four letters per word. ## Guides - [What Is a Seed Phrase? How a Recovery Phrase Works](/recovery-seed-phrase-guide/) A seed phrase is 12 to 24 BIP39 words that encode your wallet's random secret. See how the words become your keys and why they are your only backup. - [How to Store a Seed Phrase: Paper, Steel and Safe Locations](/store-a-seed-phrase/) Store a seed phrase offline on paper or stamped steel, in at least two separate places, never as a photo or file, and test each copy by restoring from it. - [Seed Phrase Examples: 12, 18 and 24 BIP39 Mnemonic Phrases](/mnemonic-words-examples-for-crypto-security-bip39/) Real BIP39 seed phrase examples for 12, 18 and 24 words from the official test vectors, with their entropy, checksum bits and why random words fail.