English level guide · CEFR B2
Reading The Prince as an Upper intermediate (B2) learner
Yes — at B2 (Upper intermediate), The Prince is a comfortable read you can enjoy at a natural pace, which makes it a good pick for building reading speed and stamina.
Updated June 2026
How The Prince reads at B2
Because most of the language is already within reach at B2, you can read for the story rather than decoding it — a good way to lock in vocabulary you half-know and pick up reading speed. Watch especially for conditional structures used to argue cause and effect: 'if a prince does x, then y'.
At a glance
Key words at B2
Some of the B2-level words The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli introduces. See the full word list →
- abandonment/əˈbændənmənt/B2
- the act of giving something up
- abide/əˈbaɪd/B2
- dwell
- abject/ˈæbʤɛkt/B2
- of the most contemptible kind
- abolish/əˈbɑlɪʃ/B2
- do away with
- absent/ˈæbsənt/B2
- go away or leave
- absorb/əbˈzɔrb/B2
- become imbued
- abstain/əbˈsteɪn/B2
- refrain from voting
- abundance/əˈbəndəns/B2
- the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply
- accession/əkˈsɛʃən/B2
- a process of increasing by addition (as to a collection or group)
- acclaim/əˈkleɪm/B2
- enthusiastic approval
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.