Explore Movie Vocabulary
Learn English with movies. Discover how much of a movie’s vocabulary you already know and review unfamiliar words before watching.
The China Syndrome
Unique vocabulary and phrases by level
How difficult is The China Syndrome in English?
The China Syndrome: 62.1% A1–A2 vocabulary; 15.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,401.
Unique vocabulary
- For A2 learners: 27.6% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B1 learners: 15.8% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
- For B2 learners: 10.0% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
10.3% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.
Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences
89.1% A1–A2 vocabulary; 4.7% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 3.2% 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
- nuclear (B2): 23 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
I'm Kimberly Wells, and I'm here at the Ventana nuclear power plant.
- 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:
PETE: What the hell is this? What the hell is this?
- chattering (rare): 12 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
[MEN CHATTERING]
- pump (C1): 11 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
TED: It must be that safety valve. Holt, cut down the pumps.
- core (C1): 10 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Twenty million pellets are inside the reactor vessel, here, at the "core."
Compare with titles in similar genres
- The Covenant: 15.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than The China Syndrome).
- Red Sparrow: 15.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points more than The China Syndrome).
- The Grifters: 15.9% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points more than The China Syndrome).
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: