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Mastering IELTS Speaking: The Ultimate Vocabulary Enhancement Guide

Updated on 26 January, 2024

Kanika Pruthi

Kanika Pruthi

Sr. Content Writer & Study Abroad Expert

Achieving a high score in the IELTS Speaking section is a pivotal step toward your academic and professional aspirations. This guide is designed to not only enrich your vocabulary but also to empower you with strategies to use these words effectively, ensuring you communicate with clarity, precision, and confidence.

Understanding the IELTS Speaking Section

The IELTS Speaking test assesses your English conversational skills, including fluency, coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, and accuracy, as well as pronunciation. Divided into three parts—Introduction and Interview, Long Turn, and Discussion—it offers you the platform to showcase your ability to communicate effectively in English.

Building Your Vocabulary Foundation

1. Thematic Vocabulary

Start by enriching your vocabulary around common IELTS themes such as technology, environment, education, society, and health. Knowing specific terms related to these topics can significantly enhance your ability to express complex ideas more fluently.

  • Technology: Innovations, breakthroughs, cybersecurity
  • Environment: Sustainability, conservation, biodiversity
  • Education: Pedagogy, online learning, academic achievement

2. Idiomatic Expressions

The judicious use of idioms can add color to your responses and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the English language. Phrases like "hit the books" (to study hard) or "a piece of cake" (something very easy) can make your speech more natural and engaging.

3. Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are integral to spoken English. Incorporating these into your speech, such as "look up to" (to admire someone) or "bring about" (cause to happen), showcases your versatility in language usage.

Practical Preparation Strategies

1. Daily Vocabulary Journal

Make it a habit to learn and reflect on new words daily. Use them in sentences, and try to incorporate them into your everyday conversations or practice monologues.

2. Topic-Based Practice

Regularly practice speaking on various topics, focusing on incorporating thematic vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Record yourself to evaluate your fluency and word usage.

3. Engage in English Conversations

Engaging in conversations with native speakers or fellow learners can expose you to new vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Online language exchange platforms can be particularly useful.

4. Read and Listen

Expose yourself to a wide range of English materials—books, podcasts, news articles, and documentaries—to naturally acquire new vocabulary and understand its context.

5. Feedback and Refinement

Seek feedback on your speaking from teachers or language partners. Focus on areas where you can improve your lexical resource and work on incorporating feedback into your practice.

Leveraging Vocabulary in the Speaking Test

1. Be Relevant and Precise

Use vocabulary that is directly relevant to the question. Precision in word choice can significantly impact the clarity of your responses.

2. Avoid Overuse of Complex Vocabulary

While it's important to demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary, ensure that your use of complex words or idioms does not compromise the natural flow and clarity of your speech.

3. Practice Paraphrasing

Being able to paraphrase questions or statements effectively is a valuable skill, allowing you to demonstrate your range of vocabulary and flexibility in language use.


List of 150+ Vocabulary Words for IELTS Speaking Test

Word Meaning
Adept Very skilled or proficient at something
Benevolent Well-meaning and kindly
Concur To agree or have the same opinion
Deferential Showing respect
Elicit To evoke or draw out a response
Fervent Having or displaying passionate intensity
Gregarious Sociable
Hinder Create difficulties for, resulting in delay or obstruction
Impeccable In accordance with the highest standards; faultless
Juxtapose To place or deal with close together for contrasting effect
Kindle To arouse or inspire (an emotion or feeling)
Lucid Expressed clearly; easy to understand
Mitigate Make less severe, serious, or painful
Nefarious Wicked or criminal
Ominous Giving the impression that something bad is going to happen
Prolific Producing much fruit or foliage or many offspring
Quell Put an end to, typically by the use of force
Reticent Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily
Salient Most noticeable or important
Tenacious Tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely
Ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere
Venerate Regard with great respect
Wary Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems
Xenial Friendly and hospitable
Yield Produce or provide
Zealot A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals
Abate To become less intense or widespread
Brevity Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech
Candor The quality of being open and honest
Dearth A scarcity or lack of something
Altruistic Showing selfless concern for the well-being of others
Brusque Abrupt or offhand in speech or manner
Curtail Reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on
Disseminate Spread or disperse (something, especially information) widely
Ephemeral Lasting for a very short time
Facilitate Make (an action or process) easy or easier
Glacial Relating to, resulting from, or denoting the presence or agency of ice, especially in the form of glaciers
Harangue A lengthy and aggressive speech
Inundate Overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with
Jovial Cheerful and friendly
Knack An acquired or natural skill at performing a task
Lament A passionate expression of grief or sorrow
Mollify Appease the anger or anxiety of (someone)
Nostalgia A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past
Obsolete No longer produced or used; out of date
Pernicious Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
Querulous Complaining in a petulant or whining manner
Revere Feel deep respect or admiration for (something)
Scrutinize Examine or inspect closely and thoroughly
Transient Lasting only for a short time; impermanent
Unfettered Not confined or restricted
Verbose Using or expressed in more words than are needed
Wistful Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing
Xenophobia Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries
Yielding Producing or providing (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product)
Zealous Having or showing zeal
Ambiguous Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning
Benign Gentle; kindly
Cohesive Characterized by or causing cohesion
Diligent Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties
Empathetic Showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another
Frivolous Not having any serious purpose or value
Germinate Begin to grow and put out shoots after a period of dormancy
Hackneyed (of a phrase or idea) lacking significance through having been overused
Idyllic Like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque
Jargon Special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand
Kudos Praise and honor received for an achievement
Languid (of a person, manner, or gesture) displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed
Mundane Lacking interest or excitement; dull
Nomadic Living the life of a nomad; wandering
Opaque Not able to be seen through; not transparent
Proliferate Increase rapidly in numbers; multiply
Quixotic Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical
Resilient Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions
Symbiotic Involving interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association
Trepidation A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen
Unprecedented Never done or known before
Vindicate Clear (someone) of blame or suspicion
Whimsical Playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way
Xenophile An individual who is attracted to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs
Yen A longing or yearning
Zeal Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective
Aberration A departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome
Belligerent Hostile and aggressive
Conspicuous Standing out so as to be clearly visible
Debilitate Make (someone) weak and infirm
Eccentric (of a person or their behavior) unconventional and slightly strange
Fluctuate Rise and fall irregularly in number or amount
Goad Provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate some action or reaction
Hapless Unfortunate
Immutable Unchanging over time or unable to be changed
Jettison Throw or drop (something) from an aircraft or ship
Kindle Light or set on fire; arouse or inspire (an emotion or feeling)
Loquacious Tending to talk a great deal; talkative
Misconstrue Interpret (something, especially a person's words or actions) wrongly
Nullify Make legally null and void; invalidate
Ostentatious Characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice
Palliate Make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause
Quandary A state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation
Ramification A consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome
Stagnate (of water or air) cease to flow or move; become stagnant
Thwart Prevent (someone) from accomplishing something
Undermine Damage or weaken (someone or something), especially gradually or insidiously
Validate Check or prove the validity or accuracy of (something)
Wane (of a state or feeling) decrease in vigor, power, or extent; become weaker
Xerophyte A plant that is adapted to an environment with little liquid water
Yearn Have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from
Zealotry Fanatical and uncompromising pursuit of religious, political, or other ideals; fanaticism
Advocate To publicly support or recommend
Bureaucracy A system of government in which most decisions are made by state officials
Concise Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words
Disparity A great difference
Eloquent Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing
Frugal Sparing or economical with regard to money or food
Gravitate To move toward or be attracted to a place, person, or thing
Heed Pay attention to; take notice of
Indigenous Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native
Juxtaposition The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect
Kinetic Relating to or resulting from motion
Litigate To take (a dispute) to a court of law
Mundane Lacking interest or excitement; dull
Novice A person new to and inexperienced in a job or situation
Ostracize Exclude from a society or group
Pragmatic Dealing with things sensibly and realistically
Quaint Attractively unusual or old-fashioned
Reconcile Restore friendly relations between
Substantiate Provide evidence to support or prove the truth of
Tumultuous Making a loud, confused noise; uproarious
Ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere
Vehement Showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense
Wary Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems
Xenial Friendly and hospitable
Yield Produce or provide (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product)
Zeal Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective
Aberration A departure from what is normal, usual, or expected
Benevolent Well meaning and kindly
Cohort A group of people with a shared characteristic
Demagogue A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires rather than using rational argument
Eclectic Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources
Fathom Understand (a difficult problem or an enigmatic person) after much thought
Gist The substance or essence of a speech or text
Hibernate To spend the winter in a dormant state
Intrinsic Belonging naturally; essential
Jeopardize Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure
Keen Having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm
Lethargic Affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic
Meticulous Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise
Niche A comfortable or suitable position in life or employment
Opaque Not able to be seen through; not transparent
Pivotal Of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else
Quell Put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by the use of force
Rampant Growing without check, running wild
Serene Calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil
Traverse Travel across or through
Unilateral Performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a particular situation, without the agreement of another or the others
Verbatim In exactly the same words as were used originally
Whet Excite or stimulate (someone's desire, interest, or appetite)
Xenophobia Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries
Yoke Join together
Zenith The time at which something is most powerful or successful

List of 150+ Phrasal Verbs for IELTS Speaking Test

Phrasal Verb Meaning
Back up Support or reinforce
Call off To cancel
Draw up To come to a stop; to devise or formulate
Embark on Start or engage in
Fall through To fail to happen
Get across Successfully communicate an idea
Hold off Delay or postpone
Jump in Enter into something quickly or abruptly
Keep up with Stay at the same level as
Lay out To explain or present (ideas, plans) clearly
Make up for Compensate for
Nail down To finalize or secure something
Opt out Choose not to participate
Pick up on To notice or become aware of something
Quash Suppress or put an end to something
Roll out Launch or introduce something new
Set apart Distinguish; make different
Take after Resemble a family member
Uphold Maintain or support
Venture out Leave a safe place to go somewhere
Wind down Relax after a period of excitement or anxiety
Zero in on Focus closely on
Break down Analyze in detail / Fail to function
Clear up Explain or solve something
Die down Become less intense or widespread
Edge out Gradually surpass or defeat
Figure out Understand or solve something
Give in Yield or submit
Hold up Delay or rob
Iron out Remove difficulties or find a solution
Add up To make sense
Blow over Pass without creating a problem
Catch on To become popular
Die out To disappear completely
Ease off Reduce in intensity
Fill in To complete (a form, a questionnaire, etc.)
Get by Manage to survive / live
Hang on Wait a short time (informal)
Iron out Resolve by discussion, eliminate differences
Jump at Accept eagerly
Knock out To impress someone greatly
Look into To investigate
Make out To discern or understand
Nod off To fall asleep
Opt in Choose to participate
Pay off To result in success
Run into To encounter unexpectedly
Set up Arrange, organize
Take off To suddenly leave somewhere / to start to fly
Wind up To end up
Zero in To focus closely
Back down Withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition
Come across To find or meet by chance.
Draw out Prolong
Fall back on Resort to
Give up To stop trying
Hold back Prevent from doing/going
Keep off Not go on or touch
Lay off Dismiss from employment
Move on Change to a new activity or topic
Nail down To finalize, to make certain or secure
Own up Admit or confess something
Point out To indicate or specify
Reach out Ask for help
Shake up To upset by making major changes
Tear apart Distress greatly
Wash away Eliminate
Bear with Be patient with
Crack down on To start dealing with bad or illegal behavior in a more severe way
Drop off Decrease / Deliver something / fall asleep
Edge out Gradually surpass
Fend off To defend against or repel
Gear up for Prepare for
Hit upon To suddenly have an idea; to discover something by chance
Keep at Continue with the same intensity
Lay down Establish, stipulate
Mop up Finish the last part of a job
Own up to Admit to having done something wrong or embarrassing
Pick apart Criticize harshly
Ride out Survive a difficult period
Stand by Support
Touch on Mention
Whip up To prepare quickly / stimulate / cause
Brush off Ignore, pay little attention
Chip in Contribute to some cause
Duck out of Avoid doing something
Egg on Encourage someone to do something risky
Fizzle out End in an unsuccessful way
Gloss over Treat or describe (something) as if it were not important
Hash out Discuss in detail
Ink in Confirm
Jack up Increase sharply
Knock back To shock or surprise
Level with Be honest with
Mull over Think carefully about something over a period of time
Nuzzle up to Cuddle or snuggle
Pare down Reduce, decrease
Quash Suppress or crush completely
Root out Eradicate, eliminate
Single out Choose one person from a group for special attention
Tag along Accompany someone, especially if they haven't specifically invited you
Veer off Change direction suddenly
Warm up to Begin to like someone or something
Yoke together Join, link
Zip around Move quickly
Break down To fail to function; to decompose
Call off To cancel something
Draw up To come to a stop; to draft or write something
Fall out To quarrel or disagree
Get along To have a good relationship
Hang up To end a phone call
Iron out To remove difficulties or find solutions
Kick off To start
Lay out To explain something clearly or to spend money
Make up To reconcile after a disagreement or to invent
Narrow down To reduce the number of possibilities
Opt out To choose not to participate
Pull through To recover from an illness
Run over To exceed a planned amount of time
Settle down To become stable or calm
Take up To begin a new hobby or interest
Wind down To relax after a period of excitement or stress
Zero in on To focus on
Back up To support
Clear out To tidy up by removing unwanted items
Dive into To start doing something with enthusiasm
Edge out To slowly surpass
Fend off To defend against
Give in To reluctantly agree or submit
Hold off To delay doing something
Jump at To eagerly accept
Knock out To impress or overwhelm
Look up to To admire or respect someone
Muddle through To manage to do something despite difficulties
Nod off To fall asleep, especially unintentionally
Own up To admit or confess something
Pass down To give something to a younger generation
Reach out To ask for help or to offer help
Shake up To make significant changes
Take after To resemble a family member in appearance or behavior
Vie for To compete for
Walk out To leave a place suddenly or as a form of protest
Brush off To ignore or dismiss
Check in To register upon arrival
Do over To repeat or redo something
Fill in To provide missing information
Go through To experience or endure something
Head off To prevent something from happening
Keep on To continue doing something
Level with To speak honestly with someone
Move on To proceed or advance
Nail down To finalize or secure something
Open up To become available or to start sharing thoughts
Pick up To learn something new, especially informally
Roll out To officially launch or introduce something new
Sort out To organize or resolve a problem
Turn down To refuse or reject something or someone
Whip up To quickly create something, especially food or excitement
Zone out To lose concentration or become inattentive

Conclusion

Expanding your vocabulary for the IELTS Speaking test is a journey that goes beyond mere memorization. It's about understanding the nuances of language, practicing its use in context, and engaging with English in a meaningful way. By following this guide, you're not just preparing for a test; you're embracing a language and its culture, opening doors to new opportunities and connections worldwide.

Embrace this journey with enthusiasm, and let your words paint the picture of your ambitions and dreams. Good luck!

Kanika Pruthi

Sr. Content Writer & Study Abroad Expert

Kanika has 5+ years of experience as a writer and content developer. She has written for a wide range of industry verticals, including hospitality, restaurants, non-profits, finance, IT, HR, technology, payroll, and education. She has worked as a creator for a few leading companies and has also helped brands grow through her creative writing.

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Disclaimer

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.