Altered States

How difficult is Altered States in English?

Altered States: 55.7% A1–A2 vocabulary; 22.4% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,412.

Unique vocabulary

• For A2 learners: 33.4% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
• For B1 learners: 22.4% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
• For B2 learners: 17.4% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.

10.9% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.

Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences

87.7% A1–A2 vocabulary; 6.0% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 2.9% 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

• tank (C1): 32 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: I didn't even know they had one of those isolation tanks at New York Hospital.

• hell (C1): 13 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 is not religious about that?

• self (B1): 12 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: It's almost as if they were trying to change their physical selves to...

• suppose (B1): 11 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: To think something is probably true, or to imagine a possible situation.

  Subtitle example: I don't suppose you recorded any of those baboon sounds?

• consciousness (B2): 9 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: There's a physiological pathway to our earlier consciousnesses.

Compare with titles in similar genres

• M3GAN: 22.5% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points more than Altered States).
• Alien Covenant: 18.4% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (4.1 percentage points less than Altered States).
• Backrooms: 18.2% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (4.3 percentage points less than Altered States).

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