The Sting

How difficult is The Sting in English?

The Sting: 69.2% A1–A2 vocabulary; 12.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,242.

Unique vocabulary

• For A2 learners: 23.0% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
• For B1 learners: 12.1% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
• For B2 learners: 7.8% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Try a short scene and check your comprehension; the vocabulary offers a relatively accessible starting point.

7.8% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.

Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences

93.8% A1–A2 vocabulary; 2.5% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 1.8% Unclassified.

This counts repeated eligible words. Phrases are excluded from this calculation to avoid counting their component words twice.

Recurring words and phrases to preview

• hell (C1): 14 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: A place of suffering in some religious beliefs; also used informally to express anger or surprise.

  Subtitle example: Hell, I never played no big con. I hung around and picked up a few things.

• crew (B2): 11 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: At the wire, it's Wrecking Crew, the winner by five.

• grifter (rare): 9 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: We checked his story with a tipster. He was cleaned by two grifters.

• expect (B1): 7 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: To think something will happen or that someone will do something.

  Subtitle example: How do you expect my eight lousy spots to compete with that?

• get in (B2): 7 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: To enter a place or vehicle; in some contexts, to arrive.

  Subtitle example: I got a little behind in the payoffs. They think I've been holding out on them.

Compare with titles in similar genres

• 11 14: 12.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points more than The Sting).
• Madea s Witness Protection: 12.5% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.3 percentage points more than The Sting).
• Risky Business: 11.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.4 percentage points less than The Sting).

These percentages describe vocabulary, not the proportion of dialogue you will understand. CEFR labels are estimates, not official film ratings. Accent, speed, songs, context, and your own vocabulary also affect comprehension. Repeated occurrences may include repeated dialogue or lyrics.

How we estimate vocabulary difficulty · Evidence generated: 2026-10-13