Explore Movie Vocabulary
Learn English with movies. Discover how much of a movie’s vocabulary you already know and review unfamiliar words before watching.
Side by Side
Unique vocabulary and phrases by level
How difficult is Side by Side in English?
Side by Side: 52.6% A1–A2 vocabulary; 21.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,761.
Unique vocabulary
- For A2 learners: 35.4% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B1 learners: 21.3% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B2 learners: 15.6% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
12.0% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.
Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences
89.7% A1–A2 vocabulary; 4.0% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 2.5% 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
- image (B1): 46 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
used moving images to create
- director (B1): 18 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
more freedom as directors and
- digitally (rare): 16 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
digitally.
- capture (B1): 15 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
capture the scenes.
- system (B1): 13 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
early editing systems used
Compare with titles in similar genres
- Lo and Behold Reveries of the Connected World: 21.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points less than Side by Side).
- Moonage Daydream: 21.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.2 percentage points less than Side by Side).
- Religulous: 21.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.2 percentage points less than Side by Side).
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: