Explore Movie Vocabulary
Learn English with movies. Discover how much of a movie’s vocabulary you already know and review unfamiliar words before watching.
Burn After Reading
Unique vocabulary and phrases by level
How difficult is Burn After Reading in English?
Burn After Reading: 62.7% A1–A2 vocabulary; 16.4% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,275.
Unique vocabulary
- For A2 learners: 28.4% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B1 learners: 16.4% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
- For B2 learners: 11.2% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
8.9% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.
Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences
91.0% A1–A2 vocabulary; 3.5% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 3.1% 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
- surgery (B2): 12 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
I was told that I needed pre-approval for these surgeries...
- file (B2): 9 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Paper files, computer files, whatever. That's your prerogative.
- agent (B2): 7 occurrences in available subtitles.
English meaning: Someone who acts for another person or organization.
Subtitle example:
Would you like to speak to the billing department or to an agent?
- loser (B1): 7 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Yeah. Losers.
- intelligence (B1): 6 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
This is like intelligence shit.
Compare with titles in similar genres
- I Care a Lot: 16.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points less than Burn After Reading).
- Seven Psychopaths: 16.2% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.2 percentage points less than Burn After Reading).
- Love in the Afternoon: 16.7% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.4 percentage points more than Burn After Reading).
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: