Important Vocabulary For IELTS: Vocab Words For IELTS
Updated on 18 October, 2022
Mrinal Mandal
Study Abroad Expert
Study Abroad Expert
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a widely accepted exam that evaluates the English language proficiency of candidates in four aspects: Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing.
Candidates appearing for the exam are assessed on a 9-band scale where 9 is the highest band score and zero is the lowest. Getting a good band score gets easier if you have a good command of your vocabulary. So, let’s start with some tips that the candidates must follow to enhance the same.
There are various means by which one can improve his vocabulary and this differs on an individual basis. Some of the tips to improve the vocabulary have been enlisted below :
These are some general tips that you can follow to build your vocabulary for the IELTS exam. However, there are some additional tips that can help you score well in the IELTS Listening These tips are ;
Here are some tricks that you can use to improve your IELTS Listening vocabulary;
Important Resources About IELTS:
The below table consists of different categories that include some commonly used words to build your English vocabulary skills.
Category | Words | Example |
Educational Vocabulary | Graduate: Completing a first university degree Curriculum: A group of subjects that we study in school, college, etc. Qualification: An official statement of completion of a course Coursework: Work involved in completing a course. Cheating: To act unethically or gain something through wrongful means. Literacy : Competency in reading or writing. Illiterate : Someone not having the ability to read or write. Education : A process of learning and exchange of knowledge. | Data Science graduates are highly in demand in the USA. Colleges should have an excellent curriculum. An MBA qualification brings better job opportunities. MBA course has a challenging coursework If you cheat in your studies, it can have severe future consequences. Low literacy rate is one of the biggest challenges in India Illiterate people face many difficulties in life. Education is necessary to become a good citizen. |
Crime Vocabulary
| Deter: Demotivate or discourage someone from carrying out an activity Offender: Someone who breaks a law or is guilty of committing a crime Legislation : A collection of laws passed by the parliament and enforced by the judicial system Crime : An act that goes against the legislation and brings harm to a part of society Victim: Someone who suffers due to the result of criminal actions of someone else Convict : A person who has been found guilty of a crime in a court of law Probation : An opportunity for a criminal to behave well and stay away from crime to avoid being sent to prison | The strong police presence deters criminals from frequenting this place. He is a serial offender and has been involved in some kidnappings. Some changes in the legislation were introduced in the last month. Bribery happens to be an often-overlooked crime in many developing countries. Victims of violent crimes often need to go through post-traumatic counseling. We need to transport the convict to a prison facility. He has been breaking the terms of his probation by meeting his old criminal friends. |
Fitness, Diet and Health Vocabulary | Obesity : A health issue where a person is extremely overweight or fat Nutrients : Nourishing substances required by the body to grow and live. Harmful: Something that has an ill effect. Allergy: A severe or mild reaction in the body due to exposure to certain substances. Diet: Collection of food and drinks eaten by an individual. | Obesity is considered as the root cause of many ailments. A meal that is lacking in essential nutrients is not useful for the body. UV rays are considered harmful for human skin. He has a life-threatening peanut allergy. His diet consists majorly of grains, fruits, and vegetables. |
Work Vocabulary
| Employee : An individual who is paid to work. Employer : Someone who pays others to work on their behalf. Career : Professional progression of an individual from one job role to another. Profession : A field of work that requires a specialized skill. Resign : To leave or to quit. Overtime: Work hours exceeding the contractual obligation. | He has been a government employee since 2015. Employers use various methods to measure productivity. His career has been progressing well at the current company. Many professions can be considered after finishing business school. She resigned from her previous job due to personal reasons. Working overtime at this company is not beneficial since it is unpaid. |
Information Technology Vocabulary | Access : Authorization to reach out for certain information or system. Connection : Act of joining or relating things. Device : A machine or instrument designed for a particular purpose. Innovation : Process of creating or designing something completely new. Advanced : A developed form of a machine or technology. | Managers have been granted administrative access to the service tool. The internet connection at the workplace is very unstable. Mobile phones are popular communication devices these days. Apple is a company that is well known for its innovation. It is possible to buy even an advanced laptop at a decent budget these days. |
Arts Vocabulary | Culture : Common behavior, values, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, hierarchies, religion, etc., shared by a group of people. Creativity : Ability to create something new or come up with an original idea. Opera : A theater-based play where the musicians and singers perform classic dramatic works Festival : A special event or celebration that can have a central theme. Artifact : A decorative object or tool of historical significance. | American culture is an amalgamation of many cultures. Leonardo Da Vinci was a famous artist and scientist, famous for his creativity. Opera Youngsters are not as interested in opera as the older generation. We attended the music festival last month for five days. Several artifacts unearthed at the local archaeological site are on display at the museum. |
While these are some of the common vocabulary words for IELTS, you should go through many more words from different fields to enrich your vocabulary. This will increase your chances of getting a high band score in the IELTS test. While you can memorize new vocabulary words for IELTS writing and speaking, it is ideal to understand their meaning and usage well.
Read More:
Get to know about the latest updates on the IELTS Exam, Eligibility, Preparation Tips, Test procedure, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Registration Process, Important Exam Dates, and much more!! This guide is a one-stop solution for every IELTS Aspirant who aims to crack the exam with an impressive band score.
Some common vocabulary words used in several categories are given below
Category | Words | Example |
Advertising | eye catching : appealing, attractive subtle : indirect catchy tune : appealing melody memorable : something that stays in our mind for long persuasive : compels us to think about or take action about something.
| The headline of the ad must be eye-catching. The idea about the campaign was subtle. The jingle of the ad must start with a catchy tune Tanishq's ad campaign had left a memorable impact on the audience. The ad campaign should be persuasive. |
Coronavirus | acute respiratory diseases acute- severe respiratory diseases : breathing issues asthma : a respiratory condition caused due to inflammation of airways in the lungs. contagious : able to spread from one individual to another by touching, contaminated : infected
| One of the side effects of coronavirus are acute respiratory diseases. Having mild to severe asthma attacks are common symptoms of Coronavirus People started taking safety measures after they came to know that COVID-19 is contagious. COVID-19 transmits through contaminated surfaces. |
Environmental problems | acid rain: rain that becomes acidic due to certain air pollutants ozone layer depletion : thinning of ozone layer resulting in harmful UV radiation at the Earth's surface land degradation: soil and land pollution loss of biodiversity: extinction of species
| Acid rain is the result of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emitted into the atmosphere. Chlorofluorocarbons are responsible for ozone layer depletion. Extreme weather conditions are one of the causes of land degradation. Climate change has led to the loss of biodiversity on earth. |
Newspaper | tabloids : a newspaper that contains photographs and stories about well-known personalities. periodical : a newspaper or magazine published at fixed intervals quarterly newspapers: newspapers published once in every months local/ regional newspapers: that serve a particular region or area. national newspapers: newspapers that serves an entire nation
| A tabloid is also known as a gossip newspaper. This news is the lead story in Times of India’s last periodical. The frequency at which quarterly newspapers are published is less than that of local newspapers. Dainik Bhaskar is the most widely read regional newspaper in Rajasthan. Hindustan Times is one of the most prominent national newspapers. |
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The IELTS Writing section consists of two questions : Task 1 and Task 2. To learn the most commonly used vocabulary we need to understand the format of each section first.
Introduction + Basic/ General Trends + Details Description + Summary. Each element of task 1 follows different vocabulary.
Vocabulary for the Introduction part
Starting | Presentation Type | Verb | Description |
The given / presented / shown | table/ diagram / graph/ figure / illustration / chart / flow chart / pie chart | represents /depicts / shows / enumerates / presents / illustrates / describes / outlines / compares / indicates / demonstrates / summarizes / sketch out | the ratio / proportion / comparison / changes / differences / amount / data / percentages |
Vocabulary for the General Trend part
Vocabulary to start the body paragraph
Vocabulary to show the changes
Trends | Verb form | Noun Form |
Increase | rise/ shot up / surge / skyrocket / leap / peaked | a rise / an increase / an upward trend / a growth / a leap / a jump / an |
Decrease | fall / decrease / decline / plunge / drop / reduce / collapse / deteriorate/ dip | a fall / a decrease / a reduction / a downward trends /a downward tendency / a decline |
Gradual increase | Skyrocketed | an upward trend / tendency |
Gradual decrease | Plummeted | a downward trend / tendency |
Stability | remain(ed) constant/ steady / consistent / uniform | a flat, no change |
Vocabulary to show the change levels
Type of Change | Adverb form |
Rapid change | dramatically / rapidly / sharply / quickly / hurriedly / speedily / swiftly / significantly/ considerably |
Moderate change | gradually / moderately / progressively / sequentially |
Uniform change | steadily |
Mild change | slightly / slowly |
Introduction + Body paragraphs + Conclusion
Vocabulary for the Introduction part
Vocabulary for Body paragraphs
Vocabulary for conclusion
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IELTS Eligibility | IELTS Registration | IELTS Syllabus |
Academic IELTS | IELTS Band Score | Validity of IELTS Score |
Having good vocabulary skills can prove to be advantageous in many ways especially when you are an IELTS aspirant. In order to develop good vocabulary skills, a lot of work is needed from one’s end during the naive stage. In the case of the IELTS speaking test, you need to be good with the pronunciation part as well. Jotting down ten words on a regular basis and googling the pronunciation of those words along with using those vocabulary words in daily conversations will help you memorize those words better. Following the process over a period of 30 days or more will reap great benefits associated with improving your vocabulary for IELTS speaking.
To improve your vocabulary for IELTS start by learning new words every day and revise them from time to time, listen to podcasts to get an idea of different accents, utilize some vocabulary building apps such as Vocab App, Common English Vocabulary, and IELTS Vocabulary Booster, watch YouTube tutorials.
A good vocabulary is an inevitable part of the IELTS exam irrespective of any section. When it comes to the IELTS writing section, one needs to have clarity on the usage of the words. For instance, if you pick a word you need to know the role of the word in that particular sentence. The same vocabulary word may be used as an adjective or an adverb depending on the context of the sentence. Start your writing journey with basic sentences that include the use of vocabulary words. Later, as you become more familiar or confident with the usage of vocabulary words, introduce them in the essay you write and get them reviewed by your peers. Doing this exercise will help improve your vocabulary for the IELTS writing section.
When it comes to any language, vocabulary can act as an embellishment. A good vocabulary can make you stand out from the crowd. It can make you an eloquent speaker. Your IQ is also based on how good you are in your vocabulary. If we focus on the IELTS exam it helps you score decent bands in each section. Building your vocabulary before appearing for the exam will help you speak more fluently in the speaking section, and understand difficult words in the reading section and write more effectively in the writing section. So, these were some of the perks of having a good vocabulary.
A good catch on vocabulary can help you score good bands in the IELTS Reading section. Some of the tips that you can follow in order to improve your reading vocabulary are; reading books and newspapers, playing word games, learning new words through flashcards, and so on.
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