Manhattan

How difficult is Manhattan in English?

Manhattan: 60.9% A1–A2 vocabulary; 17.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,577.

Unique vocabulary

• For A2 learners: 29.4% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
• For B1 learners: 17.8% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
• For B2 learners: 13.1% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.

9.6% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.

Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences

92.9% A1–A2 vocabulary; 2.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 2.2% 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

• chapter (B2): 8 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: Viking loved my book. They loved the first four chapters

• feeling (B1): 8 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: so that you can get in touch with feelings you didn't know you had.

• genius (B1): 8 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: He was a genius, Helen's a genius, Dennis is a genius. You know a lot of geniuses.

• affair (B2): 6 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: Are you telling me that... that... that I'm... that you had three affairs before me?

• hell (C1): 6 occurrences in available subtitles.

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

  Subtitle example: What the hell does that mean? What do you mean?

Compare with titles in similar genres

• The Rum Diary: 17.7% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points less than Manhattan).
• Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason: 17.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than Manhattan).
• The Talk of the Town: 17.7% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points less than Manhattan).

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