How It Works: reading level, length and free edition

Name: How It Works
Author: Archibald Williams

How It Works by Archibald Williams is a non-fiction in English. Our team rates it B2. It runs to 74,338 words with 5,730 different word forms, about 6–12 h of reading at 200 to 100 words per minute, and it is free from Project Gutenberg.

By the Readlang Mobile team (an independent app, not affiliated with readlang.com). Updated 31 October 2026.

Author: Archibald Williams
Language: English
Level: B2
Form: non-fiction
Words: 74,338
Different word forms: 5,730
Forms for 95% / 98%: 2,785 / 4,244
Reading time: 6–12 h
Free edition: Project Gutenberg

"How It Works" by Archibald Williams is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. The work aims to explain the fundamental principles behind various physical phenomena and mechanisms encountered in daily life, such as steam, electricity, and sound, using simple language that caters to an audience without an in-depth technical background. At the start of the text, the author shares his motivation for writing, noting the frequency of questions he has received asking for clarification on how various devices operate. He indicates that the text will cover a range of topics, including steam engines, electrical apparatus, and optics, with a focus on fundamental principles rather than exhaustive technical specifics. It includes illustrations and diagrams to enhance understanding, illustrating how common mechanisms function, such as the steam engine’s operations, safety measures for boilers, and a comparison of natural organs to man-made machines, signaling a clear intent to demystify complex scientific concepts for the uninitiated.

Is How It Works right for your level?

To recognise 95% of the running words in How It Works, you need its 2,785 most frequent word forms; for 98%, the share at which most readers manage a novel without a dictionary, 4,244. The median English B2 book in our table needs 3,747 forms for 95%, so by this measure the book is easier than most for its level: number 6 of 19, easiest first.

A word form is any spelling that appears in the text, so “walk” and “walked” count twice, and names count too. These numbers are a guide to how much vocabulary the book asks for, not a test. The level itself was set by hand by our team. Before you commit, read one page of the free edition and count the words you do not know: the one-page test takes two minutes.

Which words should you know before you start?

These are the words that How It Works uses most often but that are not among the 2,000 most common word forms across all 309 English books in our library; the number is how many times each appears. Names of people and places are left out. Learning a handful of them first makes the opening chapters easier.

steam 232
pressure 178
current 161
wheel 153
valve 152
pipe 143
cylinder 139
piston 129
engine 122
lens 114
boiler 90
electric 90
section 89
shaft 87
attached 85

How does it begin?

The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. Only obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

From the Project Gutenberg edition, which is in the public domain. If this paragraph already feels slow, try a book one level lower.

How long does it take to read?

Hours to read *How It Works* (74,338 words) at four reading speeds.
Words	100 wpm	150 wpm	200 wpm	250 wpm
74,338	12 h	8.5 h	6 h	5 h

Learners reading a book at their level often manage 100 to 150 words per minute, and readers in their first language 200 to 250. Where these speeds come from, and a calculator for your own: How long does it take to read a book?

Where can you read it for free?

The free edition is Project Gutenberg eBook #28553. Project Gutenberg publishes books that are in the public domain in the United States, as EPUB, Kindle and plain text, free and without an account. Copyright terms differ by country: if you live outside the United States, check that the book is out of copyright where you are before you download it.

To read it with a translation over every word you tap, open it in Readlang Mobile on iPhone or iPad.