Vocabulary ladder
War and Peace
Book One, XI
885 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 65% of the text; the hard 6% is 39 entries — all of them below.
A 64.9% (229 types) B 7.7% (48 types) C 4.2% (33 entries) D 2.1% (17 entries) E 1.1% (9 entries) N 2.9% (13 entries)
Band B — common reading vocabulary
A sample of 24 of 48 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.
- disturbed
- spoil
- lace
- niece
- carriage
- undergraduate
- utter
- thirteen
- glanced ×4
- tossed
- evident
- dashed
- delicate
- visitor ×6
- enthusiasm
- collar
- doll ×3
- charming ×2
- folds ×2
- skull
- laughter ×4
- alike
- lip
- fifteen
Band C — recognition checklist
All 33 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.
- humorously
- decorum
- flushed
- restrain
- angrily
- ensue
- slipper
- inquire
- footing
- doorway
- conceal
- curl
- dart
- countess
- blush
- distressed
- pretended
- crimson
- curly
- evidently
- suppressed
- caller
- sway
- remark
- suppress
- eld
- footstep
- backward
- severity
- compel
- childish
- amusing
- drawer
Band D — advanced (17 entries)
- fifteen-year-old
- fifteen years old
- black-eyed
- with black eyes
- sternness
- strict severity
- bodice
- the fitted upper part of a dress
- mirth
- laughing merriment
- muslin
- fine thin cotton cloth
- feigned
- pretended
- condescension
- gracious stooping to lesser people
- monstrosity
- a monstrous thing
- fragmentary
- in broken pieces
- vexed
- to annoy; trouble
- prim
- stiffly proper
- frock ×2
- a girl's or woman's dress
- heaved
- heavens! — a cry of surprise
- exclaimed
- to cry out
- nimble
- quick and light
- plump ×2
- round and full-fleshed
Band E — rare & archaic (9 entries)
- lace-frilled
- edged with lace
- rosy-faced
- with rosy cheeks
- wide-mouthed
- with a wide mouth
- chère
- dear — French, as in ma chère, my dear
- impetuosity
- rushing eagerness
- impetuously
- with rushing eagerness
- affably
- in a friendly way
- mantilla ×2
- a lace shawl for the head and shoulders
- weren
- were — weren't: were not
False friends — common words wearing old senses (0)
Names (10)
- apráksina
- a lady of the Apráksin family
- borís ×5
- Borís Drubetskóy, the ambitious young officer
- ilyá
- Count Ilyá Rostóv, the open-handed old count
- mikháylovna
- a patronymic — daughter of Michael
- natásha ×6
- Natásha Rostóva, the novel's radiant heroine
- pétya
- Pétya Rostóv, the eager youngest son
- sónya
- Sónya, the Rostóvs' gentle, devoted cousin
- mimi ×3
- a doll's name
- nicholas ×3
- Nicholas Rostóv, the eldest Rostóv son
- anna
- a woman's name — Anna Pávlovna Schérer and others