Explore Movie Vocabulary
Learn English with movies. Discover how much of a movie’s vocabulary you already know and review unfamiliar words before watching.
Vertical Limit
Unique vocabulary and phrases by level
How difficult is Vertical Limit in English?
Vertical Limit: 72.6% A1–A2 vocabulary; 12.0% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 802.
Unique vocabulary
- For A2 learners: 21.1% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B1 learners: 12.0% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
- For B2 learners: 6.9% 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.
6.3% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.
Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences
91.6% A1–A2 vocabulary; 3.6% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 1.5% 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
- base (B1): 13 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
I can drop you on my way back to K2 base camp.
- skip (B1): 11 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Skip?
- summit (B1): 9 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Wick speed-summited in 24.
- cam (B1): 8 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Two cams are safe, three's better.
- climber (B2): 7 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Skip's one of the best climbers. We'll need him.
Compare with titles in similar genres
- Pompeii: 12.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points more than Vertical Limit).
- The Wild Bunch: 11.9% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points less than Vertical Limit).
- The Magnificent Seven: 12.2% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points more than Vertical Limit).
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: