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I know that the [JLPT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese-
Language_Proficiency_Test) levels are not an official list, but still, it is
based on the many JLPT tests that has been done.

My question is more about how to estimate the level difference between the
hiragana and the kanji version of a word.

Here is an example:

  * どなた is ranked N5
  * 何方 is ranked N1
  * 何 kanji is rated N5
  * 方 kanji is rated N4

So, for a vocabulary rated N5 with an N5 kanji and an N4 kanji, the jukugo is
rated N1.

何方 can be found on the N1 page on Wiktionary:
<https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:JLPT/N1/%E3%81%9F%E8%A1%8C>

Why is it so highly rated and does this seem correct?
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2022-10-28T19:31:05.440
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words kanji jlpt dictionary
Different JLPT level for the same word, in hiragana or in kanji
Yes, I'd say this rating is more or less accurate.

何 is usually read as なに・なん, and is one of the most basic words. Therefore,
it's not a surprise for it to be N5.

方, read as かた or ほう, means a few things, but 日本の方、仕方、漢字の書き方, as you can see,
are all pretty basic as well, 方法、正方形 are not too advanced either. Therefore
N4.

どなた is basically a synonym of 誰, also one of the most basic words; therefore
N5. There is also あなた and そなた, with the latter being somewhat archaic.

The problem with 何方{どなた} is not the word itself, but the spelling, namely the
kanji. Yes both kanji and very basic, but this reading is not a normal
reading, but a 熟字訓. Meaning it's got a special reading that's specifically for
this kanji pair, and cannot be broken down to individual kanji. Like with
今日{きょう}, you can't separate 今 and 日, and it's not いまじつ, but when and only when
this pair comes together, it's きょう.

So, while some words are simple, they're mostly spelled in ひらがな. The kanji
version exists, but is not too common among Japanese people and therefore
would be attributed a higher level. Other examples could be

  * あなた・貴方{あなた}
  * ここ・此処{ここ}
  * いつ・何時{いつ}

There are some words whose kanji spelling are so rare most Japanese would not
know of.

  * かかし・案山子{かかし}
  * さんしょううお・鯢{さんしょううお} but more commly 山椒魚{さんしょううお}
  * そびえる・聳{そび}える
  * えぐい・蘞{えぐ}い
  * and way too many others to list exhaustively...

By themselves, かかし or さんしょううお or others are not necessarily hard words, but
there kanji version is just too rare.
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answer