Explore Movie Vocabulary
Learn English with movies. Discover how much of a movie’s vocabulary you already know and review unfamiliar words before watching.
The Martian
Unique vocabulary and phrases by level
How difficult is The Martian in English?
The Martian: 55.5% A1–A2 vocabulary; 19.9% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,660.
Unique vocabulary
- For A2 learners: 33.4% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B1 learners: 19.9% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
- For B2 learners: 13.1% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
11.1% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.
Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences
86.7% A1–A2 vocabulary; 5.8% 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
- commander (C1): 38 occurrences in available subtitles.
English meaning: A person who is in charge, especially in a military organization.
Subtitle example:
Happy to turn the radios off from here, Commander.
- mission (B2): 34 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
We're funded for five Ares missions.
- launch (B1): 31 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Ready to launch.
- sander (rare): 19 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
SANDERS: The nation was blessed
- copy (B1): 15 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Copy that.
Compare with titles in similar genres
- Interstellar: 19.9% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points less than The Martian).
- Prospect: 21.8% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (1.9 percentage points more than The Martian).
- A.I. Artificial Intelligence: 16.7% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (3.3 percentage points less than The Martian).
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: