English level guide · CEFR B2
Reading The Importance of Being Earnest as an Upper intermediate (B2) learner
The Importance of Being Earnest sits at the upper edge of B2 (Upper intermediate): an ambitious but achievable stretch, with tap-to-define support to carry you over the harder vocabulary.
Updated June 2026
How The Importance of Being Earnest reads at B2
Read it in shorter sittings and lean on the read-along audio: hearing each sentence as you see it keeps you moving when the vocabulary gets dense, and you can tap any unfamiliar word for a definition graded to B2. Watch especially for formal and polite registers used ironically in upper-class dialogue.
At a glance
Key words at B2
Some of the B2-level words The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde introduces. See the full word list →
- abstraction/æbˈstrækʃən/B2
- a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
- absurd/əbˈsərd/B2
- a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless
- accurately/ˈækjərətli/B2
- with few mistakes
- admirable/ˈædmərəbəl/B2
- deserving of the highest esteem or admiration
- admission/ədˈmɪʃən/B2
- the act of admitting someone to enter
- adore/əˈdɔr/B2
- love intensely
- advisable/ədˈvaɪzəbəl/B2
- worthy of being recommended or suggested
- affection/əˈfɛkʃən/B2
- a positive feeling of liking
- affectionate/əˈfɛkʃənət/B2
- having or displaying warmth or affection
- afterwards/ˈæftərwərdz/B2
- happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
What B2 readers can do
- Read articles and reports on contemporary issues.
- Understand contemporary literary prose.
- Follow most classics, looking up only richer or older vocabulary.