Speak

How difficult is Speak in English?

Speak: 69.7% A1–A2 vocabulary; 12.0% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 969.

Unique vocabulary

• For A2 learners: 22.8% 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: 7.9% 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.

7.5% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.

Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences

92.9% A1–A2 vocabulary; 2.7% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 1.9% 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

• debate (B1): 5 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: If the class is debating, than any student has a right to say what's on his mind.

• suppose (B1): 5 occurrences in available subtitles.

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

  Subtitle example: What are we supposed to cheer? 'We are the Hornets, the horny horny Hornets!'?

• clan (B2): 3 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: Hey, do you know the Martha clan? They do all these cool projects like feeding the homeless and stuff.

• cop (B2): 3 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: An informal word for a police officer.

  Subtitle example: Called the cops. You know, and busted everyone...

• lab (B2): 3 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: Ok, your lab partner must be ... uh, let's see ...

Compare with titles in similar genres

• The Lovely Bones: 12.0% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than Speak).
• The Object of My Affection: 12.0% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than Speak).
• How to Make an American Quilt: 12.0% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than Speak).

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