The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci: reading level, length and free edition

Name: The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci
Author: Leonardo da Vinci

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci by Leonardo da Vinci is a notebooks in English, in English translation. Our team rates it B2. It runs to 244,475 words with 15,717 different word forms, about 20–41 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.

Cover of The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci

Author: Leonardo da Vinci
Language: English
Level: B2
Form: notebooks
Words: 244,475
Different word forms: 15,717
Forms for 95% / 98%: 5,816 / 10,828
Reading time: 20–41 h
Free edition: Project Gutenberg

"The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete" by Leonardo da Vinci is a comprehensive collection of writings and sketches that delve into various aspects of art and science, first compiled in the late 19th century. The notebooks reveal Leonardo’s insights and observations on topics such as painting techniques, perspective, anatomy, and natural phenomena, reflecting the innovative spirit of the Renaissance era. The content spans approximately thirty years of Leonardo’s intellectual labor, showcasing his analytical approach to understanding the world. The opening of the work provides an introduction and context for Leonardo’s writings, emphasizing the challenges in deciphering his unique handwriting and the chaotic arrangement of his notes. It outlines the author’s intent to publish his manuscripts, which cover a wide range of subjects, from theoretical knowledge required for painting to the principles of perspective. Additionally, the preface highlights the confusion present in the manuscripts and the importance of organizing them logically to aid readers. This initial portion sets the stage for an exploration of Leonardo’s brilliant mind, inviting readers to engage with the fascinating intersection of art and science he so passionately pursued.

Is The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci right for your level?

To recognise 95% of the running words in The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, you need its 5,816 most frequent word forms; for 98%, the share at which most readers manage a novel without a dictionary, 10,828. The median English B2 book in our table needs 3,747 forms for 95%, so by this measure the book is harder than most for its level: number 18 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 The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci 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.

text 224
shadows 222
sketch 184
braccia 163
shade 152
rays 149
atmosphere 148
luminous 142
rivers 134
smaller 131
colours 128
images 124
illuminated 124
sketches 118
falls 108

How does it begin?

A singular fatality has ruled the destiny of nearly all the most famous of Leonardo da Vinci’s works. Two of the three most important were never completed, obstacles having arisen during his life-time, which obliged him to leave them unfinished;

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 *The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci* (244,475 words) at four reading speeds.
Words	100 wpm	150 wpm	200 wpm	250 wpm
244,475	41 h	27 h	20 h	16 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 #5000. 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.