The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: reading level, length and free edition

Name: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a novella in English. Our team rates it B2. It runs to 25,785 words with 3,973 different word forms, about 2–4.5 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 Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Language: English
Level: B2
Form: novella
Words: 25,785
Different word forms: 3,973
Forms for 95% / 98%: 2,684 / 3,458
Reading time: 2–4.5 h
Free edition: Project Gutenberg

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson is a Gothic horror novella published in 1886. When London lawyer Gabriel John Utterson investigates strange occurrences involving his old friend Dr. Henry Jekyll and a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde, he uncovers a disturbing mystery. This defining work of Gothic horror explores the duality of human nature, examining how good and evil can intertwine within a single person. The story’s impact endures today, with "Jekyll and Hyde" becoming synonymous with those who possess hidden, shocking darkness.

Is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde right for your level?

To recognise 95% of the running words in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you need its 2,684 most frequent word forms; for 98%, the share at which most readers manage a novel without a dictionary, 3,458. 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 5 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 Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 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.

lawyer 67
cabinet 26
contents 11
theatre 11
butler 11
cheque 10
laboratory 10
drug 10
drawer 9
candle 9
visitor 9
scarce 8
disappearance 7
murderer 7
drank 6

How does it begin?

Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable. At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye;

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 Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* (25,785 words) at four reading speeds.
Words	100 wpm	150 wpm	200 wpm	250 wpm
25,785	4.5 h	3 h	2 h	1.5 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 #43. 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.