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

under

Length (in words)	120599
Unique words	9584
Unique words (used once)	4067
Unique words (used once %)	42%
Unique kanji	2011
Unique kanji (used once)	317
Unique kanji readings	3503
Difficulty	7/10
Average sentence length	19.3
Characters	274825
Volumes	2

Length (in words)	34133
Unique words	3664
Unique words (used once)	1660
Unique words (used once %)	45%
Unique kanji	1238
Unique kanji (used once)	262
Unique kanji readings	1899
Difficulty	4/10
Average sentence length	19.1
Characters	78026
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	40364
Unique words	4526
Unique words (used once)	2202
Unique words (used once %)	48%
Unique kanji	1393
Unique kanji (used once)	309
Unique kanji readings	2184
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	23.1
Characters	93617
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	76861
Unique words	8199
Unique words (used once)	3755
Unique words (used once %)	45%
Unique kanji	1687
Unique kanji (used once)	272
Unique kanji readings	2857
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	16.9
Characters	178586
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	49306
Unique words	6236
Unique words (used once)	2892
Unique words (used once %)	46%
Unique kanji	1512
Unique kanji (used once)	281
Unique kanji readings	2432
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	17.7
Characters	118297
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	45799
Unique words	7218
Unique words (used once)	3714
Unique words (used once %)	51%
Unique kanji	1701
Unique kanji (used once)	322
Unique kanji readings	2815
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	22.2
Characters	111317
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	28260
Unique words	4034
Unique words (used once)	1908
Unique words (used once %)	47%
Unique kanji	1379
Unique kanji (used once)	317
Unique kanji readings	2106
Difficulty	4/10
Average sentence length	20.6
Characters	72130
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	57110
Unique words	6641
Unique words (used once)	3128
Unique words (used once %)	47%
Unique kanji	1671
Unique kanji (used once)	316
Unique kanji readings	2745
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	27.1
Characters	136328
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	107146
Unique words	9495
Unique words (used once)	4184
Unique words (used once %)	44%
Unique kanji	1943
Unique kanji (used once)	286
Unique kanji readings	3384
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	18.5
Characters	253627
Volumes	3

Length (in words)	669151
Unique words	21723
Unique words (used once)	6964
Unique words (used once %)	32%
Unique kanji	2549
Unique kanji (used once)	251
Unique kanji readings	4995
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	18.0
Characters	1585749
Volumes	18

Length (in words)	189384
Unique words	15540
Unique words (used once)	6078
Unique words (used once %)	39%
Unique kanji	2469
Unique kanji (used once)	256
Unique kanji readings	4736
Difficulty	9/10
Average sentence length	24.3
Characters	431847
Volumes	10

Length (in words)	516928
Unique words	18548
Unique words (used once)	5811
Unique words (used once %)	31%
Unique kanji	2410
Unique kanji (used once)	211
Unique kanji readings	4776
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	20.8
Characters	1119519
Volumes	11

Length (in words)	46629
Unique words	6530
Unique words (used once)	3350
Unique words (used once %)	51%
Unique kanji	1609
Unique kanji (used once)	309
Unique kanji readings	2643
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	23.0
Characters	107560
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	723229
Unique words	24863
Unique words (used once)	8812
Unique words (used once %)	35%
Unique kanji	2727
Unique kanji (used once)	282
Unique kanji readings	5477
Difficulty	8/10
Average sentence length	20.6
Characters	1695822
Volumes	10

Length (in words)	149435
Unique words	8924
Unique words (used once)	3426
Unique words (used once %)	38%
Unique kanji	1721
Unique kanji (used once)	207
Unique kanji readings	2953
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	17.6
Characters	353801
Volumes	3

Length (in words)	31207
Unique words	4787
Unique words (used once)	2537
Unique words (used once %)	52%
Unique kanji	1310
Unique kanji (used once)	320
Unique kanji readings	1990
Difficulty	4/10
Average sentence length	24.4
Characters	74424
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	72099
Unique words	6554
Unique words (used once)	2932
Unique words (used once %)	44%
Unique kanji	1636
Unique kanji (used once)	297
Unique kanji readings	2692
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	23.1
Characters	160689
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	83350
Unique words	8982
Unique words (used once)	4180
Unique words (used once %)	46%
Unique kanji	1908
Unique kanji (used once)	302
Unique kanji readings	3276
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	20.1
Characters	190284
Volumes	2

Length (in words)	43023
Unique words	5985
Unique words (used once)	3100
Unique words (used once %)	51%
Unique kanji	1569
Unique kanji (used once)	336
Unique kanji readings	2545
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	21.3
Characters	97221
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	419085
Unique words	18044
Unique words (used once)	6046
Unique words (used once %)	33%
Unique kanji	2488
Unique kanji (used once)	205
Unique kanji readings	4936
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	27.7
Characters	957331
Volumes	7

Length (in words)	143833
Unique words	8709
Unique words (used once)	3404
Unique words (used once %)	39%
Unique kanji	1722
Unique kanji (used once)	232
Unique kanji readings	3021
Difficulty	3/10
Average sentence length	19.6
Characters	336616
Volumes	3

jpdb beta

Novel difficulty list

under

reproduce

if no Higeki

hide and seek

[Haishinchuu] Joshin Channel! E, Kore Baimei desu no!

Zettai Seigi

Zettai Reido no Kokuou Heika ni Hanayome Shigan ~Soutei Ijou no Dekiai ni Midareru Mitsugetsu~

Zetsurin Shinshi no Junai Naru Stalker Riyuu ~Toshi no Sa Kareshi ni Kaihatsu Sarete Imasu~

Zero no Tsukaima Gaiden: Tabatha no Bouken

Zero no Tsukaima

Zero Machina Kakuu Sanagi wo Shiie wa Utenai

Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho

Zenkoutei Dorei Shoujo: 1 Kai 10 Pun 1000 Rin

Zaregoto Series

Zarathustra e no Kaidan

Zara Zara

ZOO

Z no Jikan

Yuushiki

Yuusha-sama no Oshishou-sama

Yuusha Party ni Kawaii Ko ga Ita no de, Kokuhaku Shitemita.

Yuusha Ikkou Buraritabi

Yuusha Dakedo, Maou kara Sekai wo Hanbun Moratte Uragiru Koto ni Shita

Yuujou Kon ~Soro Soro Renai Shite Mimasen ka?~

Yuubin Haitatsunin

Yuri no Aida ni Hasamareta Watashi ga, Ikioi de Futamata Shite Shimatta Hanashi

Yume no Senshi

Yume no Kuni kara Mezamete mo

Yume Miru Danshi wa Genjitsushugisha

Yume Juuya

Yukisaki Hikari wa Ore ni Rabukome wo Oshietai

Yuki Guni

Yuke, Tetsuro Yakou Kyuukou "Hokusei" Kita Touhoku Toppa-sen

Yozakura Vanpanella

Youkina Gang ga Chikyuu wo Mawasu

Youki no Otomurai

Youjo Senki

Youhei to Shousetsuka

Yougisha X no Kenshin

Yotsugo Gurashi

Yotogi no Kuni no Gekkou Hime

Yoru wa Mijikashi Aruke yo Otome

Yoru to Kiri no Sumi de

Yoru no Bakemono

Yoru ga Aketara, Ichiban ni Kimi ni Ai ni Iku

Yoru Cafe

Yomesen!

Yomei Juunen

Yomei Ichinen to Senkoku Sareta Boku ga Yomei Hantoshi no Kimi to Deatta Hanashi

Yomei Ichinen no Kimi ga Boku ni Nokoshite Kureta Mono

Length (in words)	104001
Unique words	11417
Unique words (used once)	5296
Unique words (used once %)	46%
Unique kanji	2052
Unique kanji (used once)	318
Unique kanji readings	3716
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	21.7
Characters	258030
Volumes	3

Length (in words)	51490
Unique words	5727
Unique words (used once)	2659
Unique words (used once %)	46%
Unique kanji	1571
Unique kanji (used once)	284
Unique kanji readings	2579
Difficulty	4/10
Average sentence length	17.3
Characters	118556
Volumes	7

Length (in words)	47699
Unique words	5008
Unique words (used once)	2328
Unique words (used once %)	46%
Unique kanji	1455
Unique kanji (used once)	286
Unique kanji readings	2320
Difficulty	4/10
Average sentence length	21.6
Characters	116501
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	192848
Unique words	13275
Unique words (used once)	5549
Unique words (used once %)	41%
Unique kanji	2109
Unique kanji (used once)	259
Unique kanji readings	3904
Difficulty	6/10
Average sentence length	16.4
Characters	454253
Volumes	4

Length (in words)	46507
Unique words	5676
Unique words (used once)	2828
Unique words (used once %)	49%
Unique kanji	1441
Unique kanji (used once)	278
Unique kanji readings	2309
Difficulty	3/10
Average sentence length	20.6
Characters	115878
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	35415
Unique words	4867
Unique words (used once)	2446
Unique words (used once %)	50%
Unique kanji	1084
Unique kanji (used once)	231
Unique kanji readings	1720
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	23.5
Characters	86070
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	38311
Unique words	5036
Unique words (used once)	2546
Unique words (used once %)	50%
Unique kanji	1425
Unique kanji (used once)	339
Unique kanji readings	2185
Difficulty	4/10
Average sentence length	22.7
Characters	92778
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	165014
Unique words	12062
Unique words (used once)	5119
Unique words (used once %)	42%
Unique kanji	2068
Unique kanji (used once)	310
Unique kanji readings	3833
Difficulty	5/10
Average sentence length	18.5
Characters	390410
Volumes	4

Length (in words)	7203
Unique words	1779
Unique words (used once)	1040
Unique words (used once %)	58%
Unique kanji	948
Unique kanji (used once)	339
Unique kanji readings	1303
Difficulty	3/10
Average sentence length	21.6
Characters	14642
Volumes	1

Length (in words)	34089
Unique words	4263
Unique words (used once)	2133
Unique words (used once %)	50%
Unique kanji	1263
Unique kanji (used once)	310
Unique kanji readings	1957
Difficulty	3/10
Average sentence length	15.4
Characters	78624
Volumes	1