CEFR B1 · Intermediate

B1 reading level: what it means and what you can read

B1 is the intermediate level. You can follow a simple novel with a clear plot, but you still meet a new word in most paragraphs. Here is what that looks like with real books and shows.

Books for B1 readers

Updated October 2026

Short answer

B1 (intermediate) reading level means you understand clear texts about familiar topics and can follow the story of an easy novel with a dictionary. Learners at B1 know roughly 2,750–3,250 common English words.

B1 at a glance

B1 reading level in numbers

Also called	Intermediate
Known words*	2,750–3,250 of the most common words
Cambridge exam	B1 Preliminary (PET)
IELTS	4.0–5.0
TOEFL	42–71 (iBT)

* Milton (2010), measured on the 5,000 most common English words. CEFR itself does not define word counts. IELTS from Cambridge English, TOEFL from ETS.

What you can read at B1

Graded readers at B1 and most young adult fiction with simple language.
Emails, blog posts, and news stories about everyday topics.
The easiest original classics, if you accept looking up a few words per page.
Sitcoms with everyday speech, with English subtitles on.

What is still hard

Long sentences with several clauses, especially in older books.
Jokes, irony, and wordplay that depend on exact word choice.
Descriptive passages full of words for places, nature, or feelings.

Classic books for B1 readers

We measured the full original text of 24 classics. The percentage is how many of the book’s words a B1 reader knows. About 98% feels comfortable; at 95% you look something up in every paragraph (why 98% matters).

Good fit at B1

The Wizard of Oz96.5% known at B1 · Strong A2 to B1

A stretch, with a dictionary

Alice in Wonderland96.3% known at B1 · Strong B1 to B2
Peter Pan95.4% known at B1 · Strong B1 to B2
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes96.6% known at B1 · Strong B1 to B2
The Time Machine95.8% known at B1 · B2 (strong B1 with support)

Names and rare word forms count as unknown here, so real comfort is a little higher. Style matters too: Emma has the most known words of all 24 books but is still hard because of its irony.

TV shows for B1 learners

Measured from English subtitles. Speed matters as much as vocabulary when you watch.

Friends96.9% known at B1 · 143 words per minute
The Office (US)96.3% known at B1 · 145 words per minute
Stranger Things96.8% known at B1 · 159 words per minute
Breaking Bad96.5% known at B1 · 131 words per minute

All 11 shows ranked by English level →

B1 words you will meet in books

A few examples from our B1 vocabulary list:

anguish very strong pain or worry
apology words that say you are sorry
loneliness the sad feeling of being alone
rivalry competition between two people or groups
gossip talk about other people’s private lives
ancestor a family member who lived long ago

See the full B1 vocabulary list →

Next step

How to move beyond B1

Read one short original from start to finish. Finishing a book does more for your confidence than any test.
Before each chapter, learn the few new words that repeat most in it. You will recognise them several times on the next pages.
Work through the B1 and then the B2 vocabulary lists. B2 words are where most of the unknown words in novels come from.
Move from sitcoms to dramas with faster, more varied speech, like Stranger Things.

TeakReader card listing the new words in a chapter before you read it.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does B1 reading level mean?

What grade or age is B1 reading level?

There is no official match. CEFR levels describe people learning English as a foreign language, while US grade levels describe native-speaking children, who know far more everyday words but less about the world. An adult at B1 and a child in a given grade find different things hard, so compare by exam score or by real books instead.

Which books can I read at B1?

Of the 24 original classics we measured, these suit B1 readers best: The Wizard of Oz. Modern novels are usually easier than classics with the same vocabulary.

What IELTS or TOEFL score is B1?

Cambridge links B1 with IELTS 4.0–5.0, and ETS maps TOEFL iBT 42–71 to B1. The Cambridge exam for this level is B1 Preliminary (PET).

Is B1 good enough to read novels in English?

Easy ones, yes. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a realistic first original at B1. Most adult novels feel hard at B1 because you know only about 92–97% of their words, below the 98% that makes reading comfortable.

How can I check my own reading level?

Pick a book from the lists on this page and read a chapter. If you know about 98% of the words, it is comfortable. TeakReader estimates your vocabulary level as you read and shows how much of each chapter you will understand.

Ready to read

Read at B1 without getting stuck.

TeakReader shows the new words before each chapter and the meaning of any word you tap. Free on iPhone, iPad, and Android.