Google Spreadsheets-Find top five values in a column

I have a column in a Google Spreadsheet where each cell contains a single word. I need to find the top five most occurring words. Does anybody know how I can achieve this?

2 Answers

=query(A:A,"select A,count(A) group by A order by count(A) desc limit 5 label A 'Word',count(A) 'Frequency' ") 

Start with a 'helper' column. In an unused column to the right use this formula in the row containing the first word then fill down.

=if(countif(A$2:A2, A2)=1, countif(A$2:A, A2), "") 

Now you can build your list of 'top five most occurring words' with this formula in another column.

=index(A$2:A, match(large(B$2:B, row(1:1)), B$2:B, 0)) 

Linked sample worksheet