An approach is provided that returns a simplified set of text to a user of a natural language processing (NLP) system with the simplified set of text having a complexity appropriate to the reading level of the user. The approach receives a word that belongs to a first natural language and retrieves a first set of complexity data pertaining to the word in the first natural language. The approach translates the word to one or more translated words, with each of the translated words corresponding to one or more second natural languages. The approach then retrieves sets of complexity data, with the sets of complexity data corresponding to a different translated word. The approach determines a complexity of the word in the first natural language based on an analysis of the first and second sets of complexity data.