Novel difficulty list

This is a list of novels, both light novels and traditional novels, ranked by their difficulty, on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is very easy and 10 is very hard. You can use it to find the most appropriate novel to read based on how good your Japanese is.

If you already have a novel in mind which is around your level you can also search for it, and then click on "Show details..." to see other novels of similar difficulty.

The difficulty ratings were generated automatically by a machine learning model. If you're interested in how we calculated them take a look here. We do not distribute any copyrighted materials from any of these works; we only provide aggregate statistics.

We also have other difficulty lists if you're interested:

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Showing 1..50 from 1475 entries

Novel

Guin Saga

Length (in words)	6741167
Unique words	47668
Unique words (used once)	9845
Unique words (used once %)	20%
Unique kanji	3158
Unique kanji (used once)	186
Unique kanji readings	6767
Difficulty	9/10
Average sentence length	30.6
Characters	16345778
Volumes	130

Length (in words)	2567571
Unique words	27107
Unique words (used once)	6591
Unique words (used once %)	24%
Unique kanji	2650
Unique kanji (used once)	204
Unique kanji readings	5525
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	28.9
Characters	6288162
Volumes	32

Length (in words)	2023115
Unique words	32456
Unique words (used once)	7519
Unique words (used once %)	23%
Unique kanji	2859
Unique kanji (used once)	148
Unique kanji readings	6048
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	23.2
Characters	4617247
Volumes	33

Length (in words)	1905440
Unique words	38809
Unique words (used once)	10977
Unique words (used once %)	28%
Unique kanji	3102
Unique kanji (used once)	287
Unique kanji readings	6637
Difficulty	9/10
Average sentence length	29.4
Characters	4571464
Volumes	28

Length (in words)	1503804
Unique words	34669
Unique words (used once)	10056
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2928
Unique kanji (used once)	218
Unique kanji readings	6175
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	28.0
Characters	3462907
Volumes	25

Length (in words)	1321555
Unique words	29463
Unique words (used once)	8563
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2758
Unique kanji (used once)	213
Unique kanji readings	5712
Difficulty	4/10
Average sentence length	21.9
Characters	3097769
Volumes	26

Length (in words)	1262230
Unique words	30935
Unique words (used once)	9010
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2713
Unique kanji (used once)	259
Unique kanji readings	5673
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	25.7
Characters	2907379
Volumes	23

Length (in words)	1151726
Unique words	27461
Unique words (used once)	8316
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2648
Unique kanji (used once)	249
Unique kanji readings	5351
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	36.5
Characters	2772509
Volumes	10

Length (in words)	1194258
Unique words	23923
Unique words (used once)	6919
Unique words (used once %)	28%
Unique kanji	2566
Unique kanji (used once)	175
Unique kanji readings	5261
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	19.2
Characters	2767048
Volumes	22

Length (in words)	1182989
Unique words	28390
Unique words (used once)	8372
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2794
Unique kanji (used once)	204
Unique kanji readings	5715
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	22.5
Characters	2705471
Volumes	21

Length (in words)	1084676
Unique words	30665
Unique words (used once)	8847
Unique words (used once %)	28%
Unique kanji	2801
Unique kanji (used once)	188
Unique kanji readings	5882
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	22.8
Characters	2705049
Volumes	22

Length (in words)	1145357
Unique words	25886
Unique words (used once)	8010
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2763
Unique kanji (used once)	216
Unique kanji readings	5648
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	23.3
Characters	2660953
Volumes	14

Length (in words)	1084722
Unique words	27767
Unique words (used once)	8500
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2524
Unique kanji (used once)	192
Unique kanji readings	5262
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	22.2
Characters	2630604
Volumes	36

Length (in words)	1057148
Unique words	26564
Unique words (used once)	8555
Unique words (used once %)	32%
Unique kanji	2468
Unique kanji (used once)	225
Unique kanji readings	4912
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	21.2
Characters	2545826
Volumes	22

Length (in words)	1169151
Unique words	26617
Unique words (used once)	8012
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2697
Unique kanji (used once)	215
Unique kanji readings	5352
Difficulty	10/10
Average sentence length	18.1
Characters	2537966
Volumes	10

Length (in words)	1079134
Unique words	26403
Unique words (used once)	6663
Unique words (used once %)	25%
Unique kanji	2839
Unique kanji (used once)	166
Unique kanji readings	5895
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	22.7
Characters	2445326
Volumes	17

Length (in words)	1006960
Unique words	22504
Unique words (used once)	6198
Unique words (used once %)	27%
Unique kanji	2515
Unique kanji (used once)	180
Unique kanji readings	5085
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	22.7
Characters	2366561
Volumes	20

Length (in words)	986415
Unique words	28955
Unique words (used once)	8714
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2841
Unique kanji (used once)	231
Unique kanji readings	5718
Difficulty	9/10
Average sentence length	24.1
Characters	2287641
Volumes	12

Length (in words)	1006018
Unique words	23482
Unique words (used once)	6697
Unique words (used once %)	28%
Unique kanji	2415
Unique kanji (used once)	202
Unique kanji readings	4784
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	27.0
Characters	2272095
Volumes	17

Length (in words)	993062
Unique words	24144
Unique words (used once)	6748
Unique words (used once %)	27%
Unique kanji	2685
Unique kanji (used once)	200
Unique kanji readings	5424
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	26.6
Characters	2263439
Volumes	19

Length (in words)	951526
Unique words	29586
Unique words (used once)	10111
Unique words (used once %)	34%
Unique kanji	2765
Unique kanji (used once)	303
Unique kanji readings	5633
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	22.0
Characters	2220826
Volumes	17

jpdb beta

Novel difficulty list

Guin Saga

Ascendance of a Bookworm

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World

Monogatari Series

Sword Art Online

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

A Certain Magical Index

Densetsu Series

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Strike the Blood

Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu.

Overlord

Maria-sama ga Miteru

Slime Taoshite 300-nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level Max ni Nattemashita

Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru: Dances with the Dragons

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

Seirei Gensouki

Youjo Senki

Wizard's Brain

Spice and Wolf

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Kumo Desu ga, Nanika?

Tokyo Ravens

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken

Shakugan no Shana

Ben-to

Mushiuta

Circlet Girl

Nejimaki Seirei Senki: Tenkyou no Alderamin

Sanzensekai no Karasu wo Koroshi

Majo no Tabitabi

Bungaku Shoujo

Goblin Slayer

Ryuuou no Oshigoto!

Date a Live

The Irregular at Magic High School

Kokou no Mesu

Classroom of the Elite

Bodacious Space Pirates

Zaregoto Series

Rebuild World

Shiritsu! Sanjuusangen Dougakuin

Accel World

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

9S (Nine S)

Asura Cryin'

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu

Seireitsukai no Blade Dance

Hyakka Ryouran

Length (in words)	935893
Unique words	14907
Unique words (used once)	4684
Unique words (used once %)	31%
Unique kanji	2103
Unique kanji (used once)	166
Unique kanji readings	3896
Difficulty	3/10
Average sentence length	19.6
Characters	2185716
Volumes	19

Length (in words)	937679
Unique words	25102
Unique words (used once)	7326
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2626
Unique kanji (used once)	225
Unique kanji readings	5316
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	22.9
Characters	2171324
Volumes	16

Length (in words)	937698
Unique words	27008
Unique words (used once)	7876
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2861
Unique kanji (used once)	218
Unique kanji readings	5955
Difficulty	9/10
Average sentence length	20.1
Characters	2170993
Volumes	16

Length (in words)	933227
Unique words	24380
Unique words (used once)	7127
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2652
Unique kanji (used once)	188
Unique kanji readings	5468
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	21.8
Characters	2134830
Volumes	11

Length (in words)	941371
Unique words	28912
Unique words (used once)	8677
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2954
Unique kanji (used once)	239
Unique kanji readings	6225
Difficulty	9/10
Average sentence length	24.8
Characters	2128265
Volumes	22

Length (in words)	937090
Unique words	25807
Unique words (used once)	8214
Unique words (used once %)	31%
Unique kanji	2635
Unique kanji (used once)	201
Unique kanji readings	5363
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	23.4
Characters	2097392
Volumes	12

Length (in words)	897330
Unique words	22555
Unique words (used once)	6745
Unique words (used once %)	29%
Unique kanji	2447
Unique kanji (used once)	177
Unique kanji readings	4865
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	20.5
Characters	2066445
Volumes	15

Length (in words)	895478
Unique words	27977
Unique words (used once)	9021
Unique words (used once %)	32%
Unique kanji	2673
Unique kanji (used once)	226
Unique kanji readings	5429
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	26.4
Characters	2020442
Volumes	13

Length (in words)	878898
Unique words	28055
Unique words (used once)	8028
Unique words (used once %)	28%
Unique kanji	2786
Unique kanji (used once)	205
Unique kanji readings	5756
Difficulty	9/10
Average sentence length	24.5
Characters	1992300
Volumes	14

Length (in words)	838061
Unique words	28666
Unique words (used once)	8771
Unique words (used once %)	30%
Unique kanji	2553
Unique kanji (used once)	224
Unique kanji readings	5052
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	29.1
Characters	1956820
Volumes	20