International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the most widely accepted English Proficiency Tests for students who wish to pursue higher education abroad. The exam evaluates students on four parameters: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Vocabulary accounts for 25% of the marks in the IELTS writing and speaking tests, and it is also as important as IELTS reading and listening. To succeed in the exam, particularly in the IELTS writing and IELTS speaking sections, candidates must have full confidence in their vocabulary. From extensive reading to practice exercises and word lists, there are various ways to learn a wide range of IELTS vocabulary in your English language skills. However, We must practice in the manner that is most comfortable for each of us.
In this article, we have compiled a list of category-wise, and topic-wise vocabulary for IELTS, along with preparation tips.
In our daily lives, we utilize words to communicate our ideas and thoughts. Sometimes, we do it effortlessly, but it might be tough at other times due to a lack of awareness of the appropriate language for a given situation. This is what we refer to as a vocabulary deficit. If a candidate is not sufficiently prepared for the IELTS exam, a similar scenario occurs. To do better in the IELTS writing and IELTS speaking components of the exam, we need to expand our IELTS vocabulary list. When you run out of words while talking with the IELTS examiner, you tend to use similar phrases or repeat statements if your vocabulary is inadequate.
It is important for students to learn a flexible use of a wide range of vocabulary in order to achieve a band score of 7 or higher. If you are not able to use the correct words, appropriately then this can really hamper the overall band score as well.
To help with this, we have included an IELTS vocabulary list and listed down some latest and most popular topics as per the category that has been used in the exam.
It’s not only about learning new words; it’s also about learning them in the context of a text. Let’s look at a few instances to learn a few words. Several vital academic words, idiom practice, topic-related words, and other important vocabulary skills will also be included in this blog.
The academic word list is a collection of often-used words in academic writings. Making a list of each of the common terms, as best picked by you, is the appropriate way to learn. Each list will focus on a single frequent term.
This list will include all variations of the academic time and the different ways in which that exact word can be shaped and employed in diverse situations.
If a student learns a term and its meaning, as well as its many word forms, he or she will be able to understand the meaning of the word while reading it in any form. There are two abilities to take note of here: The first step is to recognize the word, and the second step is to use it. In comparison to the second, the first is easier to obtain. To perfect the use of the words, you must practice them. If you’re learning a new term from our academic word list or another list, you’ll want to be sure you know what words it’s related to.
Now that you’ve grasped the concept of using a word list to improve your IELTS vocabulary, you may look through some more examples of academic word lists, which are mentioned below:
| WORDS | FORMS OF THE WORD |
| AVAILABLE | availability
unavailable |
| AREA | areas |
| ASSESS | assessable
assessed assesses assessing assessment assessments reassess |
| APPROACH | approaches
approaching unapproachable approachable approached |
| BENEFIT | beneficial
benefited benefiting benefits beneficiary beneficiaries |
| CONCEPT | conceptualize
conceptualized conceptualizes conceptualizing conceptually conception concepts conceptual conceptualisation |
| CONTEXT | contextualized
contextualizing uncontextualized contexts contextual contextualize |
| CONSIST | consistently
consisting consists consisted consistency consistent inconsistencies inconsistency inconsistent |
| CONTRACT | contracted
contracting contractor contractors contracts |
| CREATE | creations
creative creatively creativity creator created creates creating creation creators recreates recreating recreate recreated |
| DISTRIBUTE | distributions
distributive distributor distributors distributed distributing distribution distributional redistributing redistribution redistribute redistributed redistributes |
| DERIVE | derivatives
derived derives deriving derivation derivations derivative |
| ESTIMATE | over-estimate
overestimate overestimated overestimates overestimating estimated estimates estimating estimation estimations underestimate underestimated underestimates underestimating |
| ECONOMY | economic
economical economically economics economies economist economists uneconomical |
| ESTABLISH | disestablish
disestablished disestablishes disestablishing disestablishment established establishes establishing establishment establishments |
| EVIDENT | evidenced
evidence evidential evidently |
| EXPORT | exported
exporter exporters exporting exports |
| FORMULAE | formulae
formulas formulate formulated formulating formulation formulations reformulate reformulated reformulating reformulation reformulations |
| FINANCE | financed
finances financial financially financier financiers financing |
| INCOME | Incomes
incoming |
| INDIVIDUAL | individualized
individuality individualism individualist individualists individualistic individual individuals |
Topic vocabulary is important since it allows you to acquire valuable words and phrases that may appear on the IELTS test and can be utilized in IELTS writing or speaking based on the topic. It is not necessary to study certain terms in great detail. However, there are several topics that show up in the test, and knowing different words and phrases associated with them is helpful. You can show that you have a large vocabulary and that you can explain yourself in the most effective way possible in every manner. They may be beneficial in all sections of the exam. These subjects can be found in an IELTS speaking test as well as an essay topic that is related to them. It also helps your reading comprehension because the more complex terms you know, the easier it is to comprehend the context.
Below are related topics that can be asked in the IELTS exam:
The meaning of a combination of words cannot be deduced from the meanings of the individual words. For instance, ‘over the moon’ and ‘cold feet.’ Examiners will look for less common and more idiomatic terminology in order to give you a band 7 or above in IELTS. It is, however, difficult to learn idioms and use them in appropriate situations.
You must be careful when attempting to fit them into the IELTS test, as the examiner will most likely detect. You must reach a point where you are able to employ idioms fairly. You should not only learn them academically but also know how to apply them. If you get an IELTS band of 5 to 5.5 practice exams then, you can put idioms aside and concentrate on increasing your common vocabulary first.
Example:
| Idioms | Usage |
| It cost me an arm and a leg to buy this beach house. | Very expensive |
| I was over the moon when he appreciated me. | Extremely happy |
A combination of words that are frequently paired together is referred to as collocation. It is one of the most crucial things to grasp when studying for the IELTS exam. You must not only know these words but also know how to connect them with other words to get a band score of 7.
You learn these terms in such a way that you know how to use them in the correct context. It is far more effective than simply memorizing words.
Here are some examples of collocation:
Verbs that are used with a preposition or an adverb are known as phrasal verbs. When these two words are combined, they have a different meaning than when they are used alone.
Example – “I can’t put up with you”
When the word “put” is used in the context of “to put on the table,” it implies “to position,” but when it is combined with “up with,” it signifies “can’t accept someone or something anymore.”
IELTS vocabulary is the key to exam success. This article is a valuable resource in and of itself to learn. There’s a lot more to vocabulary than memorizing words. Make sure your IELTS prep is not only to recall but also to grasp words in context if you want to do well on the IELTS. Also, be ready to use IELTS Vocabulary in context, in your own writing, and in your own speaking.
The IELTS Speaking section can be challenging for many. Candidates should have strong control over their fluency, vocabulary, and pronunciation of the language in this section.
Learning idioms can be helpful in expressing your ideas more clearly but one must not use any idiom without understanding the meaning as it can lead to a deduction in marks. Therefore, use it only when you are confident about the meaning and its context.
We have listed a few common idioms that can be used in the speaking section:
A Phrasal Verb typically constitutes a verb with a preposition or adverb or both and functions as a verb whose meaning is totally different than an individual verb. Hence must be used according to the context.
Phrasal verbs are a part of IELTS vocabulary words, and to show command over the English language, candidates must use them. But one should understand the context before using these verbs as the wrong usage can impact the overall band score.
Below is the list of some common phrasal verbs that can be used:
A combination of words in a sentence that are closely affiliated with each other. They can be paired in the following manner.
To understand it better, some example sentences of different collocations are listed below:
Verb + Noun
Verb + Adverb
Adverb + Adjective
Adjective + Noun
Noun + Noun
List of some Common Collocations
Example: He will inherit his father’s money when he comes of age.
Example: Our company has always taken pride in its excellent customer support and commitment to customer satisfaction.
Example: The company’s service is tailored to meet your needs.
Example: She got a sense of accomplishment after learning new skills
Example: Many students derived benefits from the new curriculum.
To expand your vocabulary for IELTS writing & IELTS reading sections, listed below are some of the common words with their synonyms.
| Words | Synonyms |
| Funny | Amusing, waggish |
| Answer | Respond |
| Awful | Bad |
| Dangerous | Risky |
| Decide | Settle |
| Come | Arrive |
| Place | Procedure |
| Beautiful | Pretty |
| Begin | Start |
| Interesting | Intriguing, engrossing |
| Help | Assist, Aid |
| Wrong | Mistaken |
| Tell | Narrate, Inform |
| Show | Display, Exhibit |
| New | Recent, current |
| Definite | Certain |
| Delicious | Savoury |
| Important | Vital, crucial |
| Neat | Clean |
| Happy | Content |
| Famous | Well-known |
| Amazing | Incredible |
| Cool | Frosty |
The speaking test is to check the candidate’s command over the fluency of the English language. Hence, it is important to have a strong grasp of the vocabulary and should know when to and how to use it correctly.
Below is the list of common words that can be used for the section:
Grammar and Vocabulary on your essays make a huge difference in your band descriptor. It means you should have a strong command of using accurate grammar and vocabulary and finding the right terms to describe the graphs and charts on writing task 1.
Here are some examples of the language that can be used for describing graphs and charts:
Whether you are appearing for General Training IELTS or an Academic exam you can use the common words listed below for writing task 2 essay.
You need to give your thesis and provide an overview of the essay at the beginning of the task. Here are a few words that can be used to do so:
It may seem that…
It appears that…
Firstly, this essay will…and secondly, it will….
I/This essay will argue that…
To examine this issue, this essay will examine both….and…
I/This essay will show that…
Here are some words that can be used within each body paragraph to illustrate opinions, contradictions, and conflicts between ideas.
First of all,
For instance,
In addition,
However,
For example,
In addition,
Conversely,
Try to avoid restating the thesis statement right away, use phrases and transition words to wrap up your final paragraph.
Finally,
Therefore,
In the end,
To summarize,
On balance,
Manya – The Princeton Review offers end-to-end study abroad services encompassing admissions consulting services, test preparation, English language training, career assessment, and international internship opportunities to study abroad aspirants. Founded in 2002, Manya holds an impeccable track record of enabling more than 4 lac students to accomplish their study abroad dreams through its network of 47+ centers across India.
Manya has formed long-lasting global alliances with several market leaders in the education industry in order to maximize the benefits of its large service portfolio. Their list of esteemed partners and affiliations includes – The Princeton Review (TPR), Cambridge University Press (CUP), Cogito Hub, British Council, Tuding to name a few. Manya has also forged 600+ partnerships with international universities across top study abroad destinations.
Book your Free Counselling Session now!Because it can involve some difficult terminology, the IELTS reading exam can be tough for students. In general, you won’t need to be able to decipher exceptionally difficult or rare terms. Examiners will never expect you to know technical jargon for a certain field of study.
Make a list of any unusual words you come across while reading or listening. Reading and listening are both good ways to learn new words. To help you remember the unusual term you heard or saw while listening or speaking, write it down in a pocket notepad (or on your phone).
The importance of vocabulary in the IELTS exam cannot be overstated. Reading and Writing modules in particular, as there are three passages with a total of forty questions in Reading.
Vocabulary is an important component of the ILETS exam, as it is used to assess your ability to understand and use English in a variety of contexts. A good vocabulary allows you to express yourself clearly and effectively and helps you comprehend the exam reading and listening tasks.
You should focus on both general and academic vocabulary for the IELTS exam. General vocabulary refers to words and phrases that are commonly used in everyday conversation and writing, while academic vocabulary refers to words and phrases that are more specific to academic subjects and professional fields.
IELTS Vs PTE: Meaning, Reasons & Difference
