Explore Movie Vocabulary
Learn English with movies. Discover how much of a movie’s vocabulary you already know and review unfamiliar words before watching.
Shutter Island
Unique vocabulary and phrases by level
How difficult is Shutter Island in English?
Shutter Island: 60.9% A1–A2 vocabulary; 17.4% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,442.
Unique vocabulary
- For A2 learners: 28.7% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B1 learners: 17.4% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
- For B2 learners: 11.1% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
10.4% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.
Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences
90.5% A1–A2 vocabulary; 3.4% 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
- patient (B1): 46 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
I got lucky. There was a patient escape, it was the perfect excuse.
- ward (B1): 22 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Admittance to ward C is forbidden without the written consent and
- teddy (B1): 15 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Pull yourself together Teddy!
- hell (C1): 10 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 are you boys smoking out there in Portland anyway?
- lighthouse (B1): 9 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
What's that tower? - It's an old lighthouse.
Compare with titles in similar genres
- The Burbs: 17.4% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points less than Shutter Island).
- High Anxiety: 17.6% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points more than Shutter Island).
- The Trial: 17.2% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.2 percentage points less than Shutter Island).
A short study session
- Prepare. Review three recurring terms below. Write your own sentence for each and check its meaning against the subtitle example. patient, ward, teddy.
- Listen and check. Choose a two-minute conversation. Listen without subtitles and note who wants what. Replay with English subtitles, then without them. Compare the actual pronunciation, word linking, and pace with what you expected; vocabulary percentages do not measure accents or listening speed.
- Use the language. Write or say four sentences answering this prompt. Include two terms you reviewed. Revisit them tomorrow and one week later. Writing prompt: Separate facts, suspicions, and explanations in one investigation scene.
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: