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400+ Vocabulary Words for IELTS + PDF (Updated 2024)

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The IELTS is one of the most popular English skill tests, taken by non-native English speakers. More than 3.5 million people take the test every year to study abroad in a native English-speaking country. The test evaluates the candidate’s ability to communicate in English based on four things: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. To score a good band in IELTS, it is important to use a wide range of vocabulary appropriately. The examiner assesses the usage of vocabulary in both writing and speaking sections. Moreover, IELTS contains challenging vocabulary words and it is important to know the meaning of words to comprehend the texts.

If you want to secure a 7+ band in IELTS, a strong vocabulary is a must, and Yocket can help you with that. Yocket has helped 10,000+ aspirants achieve successful admissions in their dream institutions. To gain more information on IELTS scores required for admissions at top universities globally connect with Yocket. Yocket will help you with applications, admissions, scholarships, and lots more. Reach out to us today!

Table of Contents

For IELTS, it’s crucial to employ a variety of vocabulary words for IELTS with flexibility because the examiner will look for it in all the sections. Additionally, you must read well to comprehend the texts because they contain many challenging vocabulary words for IELTS.

A strong vocabulary is crucial to get a band 7 or higher on the IELTS. Here, we have compiled a list of vocabulary words for IELTS that you can utilise for their preparation.

Topic-wise Vocabulary Words for IELTS

There are specific topics that are often repeated in an IELTS examination. Knowledge of these generic topics helps candidates do well in their speaking and writing sections. Here is a list of some common topics one must prepare for the IELTS examination.

General awareness of these large topics will make you more confident, and your content will become more factual and less fiction. After conquering the content portion, you can focus on polishing your grammar and using better IELTS vocabulary words for brownie points. For this, let’s explore the list of essential words for IELTS.

Suggested: Guide to IELTS Grammar

Phrasal Verb for IELTS Vocabulary

The IELTS writing vocabulary is more personal and depends on the writing style of the user. Similarly, the IELTS speaking vocabulary could be a little less advanced and coherent. Here is an IELTS vocabulary list of essential words you need as part of the exam preparation.

Phrasal Verbs

Meaning

Usage

Romp in

Win easily

Team A romped in the quiz.

Salt away

Save money

We need to start salting away whatever we have collected from the donation.

Peel away

Separate from a group

We slowly peeled away from the crowd.

To be on cloud nine

Be extremely happy

I was on cloud nine upon receiving the award.

Correspond with

Agree with

Politicians’ words seldom correspond with their actions.

Quarrel with

Dispute or disagree with something

I am not quarreling with their idea, but I think there are ample possibilities.

Stick with

Not Change Something

It’s better to stick with the original idea in this case.

Tee-Off

Start or Launch an Event

The new event will begin in June.

Pass Over

Ignore/Refuse to discuss

I would like to pass over this approach and apply a new one instead.

Venture forth

Leave somewhere safe or comfortable

If the storm has finished, we could venture forth.

Go by

The passing of time

Ten years went by before we saw each other again.

Kick back

Relax

She has no plans to kick back, and her schedule is as busy as ever. 

Limber up for

Prepare for something that will require a great effort

She limbered up for a few minutes before starting to run.

Measure against

Evaluate or judge by

comparison

The figures are not very good when measured against those of our competitors.

A List of Vocabulary Words for IELTS

Here is the first list of IELTS vocabulary words with their synonyms:

Words  Meaning
Blameless  innocent
Crazy  insane
Noted  famous
Madness  insanity
Arrogant  haughty
Awful  terrible
To disclaim  to deny
To vary  to differ
Accurate  correct
Sacristy  vestry
Dreadful  terrible
Immoderate  excessive
Cozy  comfortable
Garbage can  trashcan
Perception  insight
Warranty guarantee
Immediate  instant
Mind  intellect
Vague  indistinct
Understandable  comprehensible
Indisputable  undeniable
Terror  fright
Highbrow  intellectual
Cube  dice
Remoted  isolated
Well timed  timely
Gratuity  tip
Disadvantaged  deprived
Abundant  ample
To misconceive  to misunderstand
Denims  jeans
Connect  join
Ecstasy  joy
Magistrate  justice of the peace
Eager  keen
Wise  knowing
Crusade  campaign
To establish  to set up
Neutral  impartial
Vicious  ferocious
Interplay  interaction
To desert  to abandon
Touchdown  landing
Oblique  indirect
To accomplish  to achieve
Hashish  cannabis
To close  to shut
Defective  faulty
Mischievous  impish
Dormant  inactive
Idle  lazy
Turbulent  blustering
To disclose  to reveal
Dally  loiter
Isolated  lonely
Missing  lost
Drab  dull
Fortunate  lucky
Hearsay rumor
Mendacity  lying
Superb  magnificent
Leading  main
Chiefly  mainly
Aggressive  militant
Noon  midday
Vague  indistinct
Misfortune  mishap
Misread  misinterpret
Deceptive  misleading
Lacking  missing
Jealous  envious
Doubt  mistrust
Wrong  mistaken
Away  absent
To notify  to inform
Mannequin  model
Dicey  risky
Empty  drain
Misery  distress
Impartial  neutral
Impartial  neutral
To behave  to act
Bendy  flexible
Extra  additional

Vocabulary List for IELTS 2

Here is the second list of IELTS vocabulary words with their synonyms:

Words  Meaning
To administer  to manage
Murderer  assassin
To maintain  to preserve
Mediocre  fair
Aromatic  fragrant
Dispute  debate
Ambitious  aspiring
To foretell  to predict
To ignore  to disregard
Virtue  advantage
To cope  to manage
Appreciable  considerable
Disagreeable  unpleasant
Rubbish  nonsense
To bear on sth.  to affect
Lousy  awful
To consult  to refer to
Cranky  cross
Mackintosh  waterproof coat
Pocket book  notebook
Middleman  intermediary
Paper money  notes
Infamous  notorious
Mirth  fun
Selection  choice
To quake  to tremble
Today  nowadays
Hate loathe
Mean  unkind
Contaminate  defile
Impediment  obstacle
Construction (lit.)  interpretation
Hostile  antagonistic
To function  to operate
Apparent  obvious
Comfort  consolation
Unstated  unspoken
Enormous  huge, immense
Sincere  honest
Imperfect  faulty
Obsolete  out of date
Above  overhead
Total  entire,
Twosome  pair
Especially  particularly
Monotonous  boring
To hurry  to rush
Ardor  passion
Gut  intestine
Identical  duplicate
Immodest  conceited
Untrue  unfaithful
Achieve  accomplish
To annoy  to irritate, to bother
Awkward  clumsy
Completely  totally
To elevate  to raise, to promote
Insolvent  bankrupt
To rue  to regret
Essential  fundamental
Peaceable  peaceful
Nightfall  dusk
Handsome  good
Stupid  dense
Zenith  peak
Vacant  empty
Fragrance  perfume
Maybe  perhaps, possibly
Aid  help, assist
Bad (not good)  poor, naughty
Magician  conjurer
Unfortunate  unlucky
Gravestone  headstone
Housebreaking  burglary
To grab  to seize
Refrain  chorus
To disappear  to vanish
Painting  portray
Adjourn  postpone
Instructions  directions
Momentous  powerful
Priority  precedence
Stationary  fixed
Praise  compliment
Insufferable  unbearable
Previous  preceding
Exactly  precisely
Mistrust  distrust
Early  premature
Untimely  premature
Antagonize  provoke
Citation  quotation
Naughty  disobedient
Cheesy  corny, tacky
Huge  vast
Hole  gap
Magnify  expand
Lethal  deadly
Immune  exempt
Mourn  grieve
Ban  forbid
Infrequent  rare
Spontaneous  automatic
To cite  to quote
Uncooked  raw
Arrive  reach, come
Dark  dismal
Unlawful  illegal
Knowingly  deliberately
Moderately  reasonably
Insurgent  rebel
Uprising  rebellion
Clerk  receptionist
Miserable  depressing
Curative  healing
Equity  fairness
Immature  inexperienced
Artful  crafty
Practically  virtually
Conscious  aware
To arrive  to reach
Apparent  evident
Crook  criminal
Unvoiced  voiceless

Vocabulary Words for IELTS List 3

Here is the third list of IELTS vocabulary words with their synonyms:

Words  Meaning
Negligent  inattentive
To differentiate  to distinguish
Inferior  substandard
Win  succeed
Hold  grasp
To nominate  to appoint
To near  to approach
To impact  to affect
Charter  constitution
Eccentric  unusual
Consecutive  successive
Morose  sullen
Disagree  differ
Invoice  bill
To withstand  to resist
Insupportable  intolerable
Meeting  assembly
To convey  to communicate
To denationalize  to privatize
Abstract  summary
Attractive  appealing
Illiberal  intolerant
To overhaul  to overtake
Anyway  besides
To respond  to reply
Precis  summary
Dry  arid
To minimize  to play down
Satisfied  convinced
Vain  useless
To conform  to comply
Conflict  clash
Twister  tornado
To float  to drift
Instinct  intuition
To admit  to confess
To intensify  to heighten
Intriguing  fascinating
Moderate  lenient
Minor  lesser
To infect  to contaminate
To vacuum  to hoover
Removable  detachable
Sundown  sunset
Joy  delight
Encourage  support
Class  lesson, course
To vanquish  to conquer
Turmoil  disturbance
To transform  to convert
To deprave  to corrupt
To chop  to cut
To diminish  to decrease
To involve  to entail
To magnify  to exaggerate
Constancy  fidelity
Ornament  decoration
Diminish  curtail
Nugatory  worthless
Revolting  disgusting
Torpid  lethargic
Prompt  immediate
To operate  to function
Vast  huge
To inspect  to examine
To collect  to gather
Impetuous  reckless
To receive  to get
Beneficent  generous
Nameless  anonymous
To confuse  to mix up
Overseas  abroad
To deduce  to infer
High  elevated
Convalesce  recover
Outside  external
To renounce  to give up
More and more  increasingly
To grouse  to grumble
To assure  to guarantee
Advocate  support
Coiffure  hairstyle
Forehead  brow
Discount  reduction
To appear  to seem
Except  apart from
To survive  to outlive
Migrant  drifting
Dead  lifeless
Notwithstanding  however
A native  a local
To visualize  to imagine
Informal  casual
To begin  to start
Infuriate  enrage
Animated  lively
Chorus  refrain
Necessary  essential
Provided  if
Remorse  regret
Domesticate  cultivate
Steady  regular
Testament  testimony
If  whether
Applicable  relevant
Difficult  hard
Trustworthy  reliable
Mend  repair
Moral  ethical
Nobility  the aristocracy
Repute  reputation
Abbreviate  condense
Unhurt  unharmed
Imperative  crucial
Dilute  weaken, thin
Prosperous  affluent
To fabricate  to manufacture
Reasonable  fair
Idler  loafer
Mandatory  required
Suppress  restrain
Dossier  file
Lucid  clear
Complete  total
Diverse  distinct
Backside  behind, bottom
To answer  to reply
Home  domestic
Matters  things
Correct  right
Brow  forehead
Remainder  the rest
Object  thing
Hermetic  airtight
To learn  to memorize
Considerate  thoughtful
Considerate  thoughtful
Urgent  important
Inconsiderate  thoughtless
Silly  foolish

IELTS Words with Meaning List 4

Here is the fourth list of IELTS vocabulary words with their synonyms:

Words  Meaning
To evaluate  to assess
Substantially  considerably
Dangerous  unsafe
Hall  corridor
French dressing  vinaigrette
To explode  to blow up
To collapse  to break down
To accumulate  to build up
Livid  furious
Remark  comment
Vibrate  tremble
Inflexible  rigid
To select  to choose
Spotlight  highlight
To illuminate  to clarify; to light up
Disaster  catastrophe
To encounter  to come across
To emphasize  to stress
Innocent  harmless
Undeniable  indisputable
Humiliate  embarrass
Beautiful  attractive
To impeach  to question
Bloodless  cold
Hard  tough
Dubious  doubtful
Reliable  dependable
Material  fabric
Infantile  childish
To imagine  to suppose, to assume
Clever  intelligent
Deliberately  intentionally
Last  final
Brave  courageous
Winery  vineyard

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. To be aptly prepared for the IELTS examination, you should be aware of many such phrasal verbs, phrases, words, and idioms. Using these in your writing and speaking will give you brownie points and help you get the perfect band score.

IELTS Words List PDF Download

IELTS VOCABULARY WORD LIST PDF - Download

List of Idioms for IELTS Vocabulary

IELTS speaking is a major challenge for many candidates. However, it provides an opportunity to demonstrate fluency, pronunciation, and a rich vocabulary.

Including idioms in this section adds clarity and gives a natural tone. However, it is important to fully understand their meanings to avoid jumping to conclusions. Therefore, only use idioms if you are sure of their meaning and context.

We have curated a collection of common idioms used for the Speaking section of IELTS. Effective use of these idioms can significantly improve your speaking score by introducing strong vocabulary.

  • To be on the top of the world 
  • To be on cloud nine 
  • If my memory serves me well 
  • Over the moon 
  • Once in a blue moon 
  • Piece of cake 
  • A drop in the ocean 
  • To be like a dog with two tails 
  • It makes my blood boil 
  • Change one’s mind 
  • Call it a day 
  • Put all your eggs in one basket 
  • Blessing in disguise 
  • Actions speak louder than words 
  • I hit the ceiling 
  • Fresh as a daisy
  • Couch potato
  • Full of beans   
  • A bad egg
  • Eager beaver

Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking List

The speaking module tests your ability to communicate in English fluently. However, this means that the student must be able to pronounce words correctly without hesitation. But that is not all. You need to understand the IELTS vocabulary words and use them when and where you need them because it can give you a good score.

Here is a comprehensive list of IELTS vocabulary words: 

  • Another reason
  • These days
  • For example
  • At the moment
  • Though
  • Nowadays
  • Although
  • Years ago
  • Despite
  • Nevertheless
  • Meanwhile
  • When I was younger
  • On the contrary
  • On the other hand
  • Despite
  • I reckon
  • It was caused
  • Alternatively
  • Even though
  • However
  • For instance
  • In the past

A List of Vocabulary Words for IELTS

Here is a list of vocabulary words for IELTS:

Words 

Meaning

Amazing 

Incredible 

Answer 

Respond 

Awful 

Bad 

Beautiful 

Pretty 

Begin 

Start 

Come 

Arrive 

Cool 

Frosty 

Dangerous 

Risky 

Decide 

Settle 

Definite 

Certain 

Delicious 

Savoury 

Wrong 

Mistaken 

Tell 

Narrate, Inform 

Show 

Display, Exhibit 

New 

Recent, current 

Neat 

Clean 

Interesting 

Intriguing 

Important 

Vital, Crucial 

Help 

Assist 

Happy 

Content 

Famous 

Well-known 

Funny 

Amusing 

Place 

Procedure

Suggested: Best App for IELTS Preparation

IELTS Listening Vocabulary Words

You can improve your memory of word spellings for the IELTS Listening test by pronouncing the word, writing it down, checking it, and then repeating the procedure.

Are you ready to test your skills? Make an effort to spell each of the commonly misspelled words given in the following table:

conscious

disappear

exciting

necessary

original

realistic

obesity

marriage

solar

beautiful

highway

percentage

fluctuate

peak

recover

video

murder

topic

argument

Wednesday

neighbor

boring

rhythm

immediately

receive

February

tendency

fuel

friendly

until

million

thousand

hundred

musician

computer

software

temporary

unfortunately

disadvantage

foreign

opportunity

because

How to Prepare for IELTS Vocabulary?

Your IELTS vocabulary isn’t a piece of cake. It is a plant that takes months to grow. Here are a few tips that can help you effortlessly brush up on your English vocabulary and prepare for the IELTS test.

1.   Read More

A real no-brainer, reading acquaints you with interesting writing styles, words, sentences, and idioms and improves your conversing in English on the whole. Working with good quality English texts like books and journals is essentially helpful. While you’re at it, annotate and highlight things you do and do not understand.

2.   Watch English Movies and Web Series

If you want to improve your IETLS Vocabulary without working for it, watch loads of English movies, web series, and dramas with subtitles. These acquaint you with different speaking accents, the meanings of ironic speech, and other things.

3.  Write Often

Develop a writing habit at least four months before your test. Before you go to bed, write something in English. This improves your writing skills and polishes your grammar. Using grammar correction tools like Grammarly can help make your writing more engaging and crisper.

Apart from these, the market has a plethora of sources and IELTS vocabulary books that are a must to check out. Going through these can be greatly helpful in making you ace that 9.0.

The Best IELTS Vocabulary Books for Preparation

How to improve vocabulary for IELTS? If you are looking for paper material that helps you prepare your IELTS vocabulary words for the IELTS speaking and writing portion, you might try these books:

Name

Author

Cost in INR

IELTS Vocabulary Masterclass 8.5 (c) BOOK 3

Mark Roche

1,240

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Pauline Cullen

3,170

Check Your English Vocabulary for IELTS

Rawdon Wyatt

1,180

Feedback

English Vocabulary in Use

Felicity O'Dell and Michael McCarthy

3,590

Suggested: Best IELTS Books

Tips to Prepare for Vocabulary Words for IELTS

Here are essential tips to effectively prepare for the IELTS exam and achieve a desirable score:

  • Engage in English reading, listening, and conversations regularly. Immersing oneself in English newspapers and noting down unfamiliar words for later reference is highly beneficial.
  • Practice consistently across all sections—reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Regular practice is key to mastering each component of the exam.
  • Utilize online resources such as YouTube to enhance pronunciation skills and learn academic vocabulary in context.
  • Avoid relying solely on memorization, as word meanings can vary based on context. Instead, focus on understanding word usage through practical application and exposure.

Now you know how to improve your vocabulary for IELTS. Other than this, specific IELTS preparation coaching institutes offer handbooks and guides that help students prepare vocabulary words for the IELTS examination. Note that building your vocabulary words for the IELTS does not happen overnight. Years of practice and regular use of good English grammar and texts help students achieve that level of proficiency.

Conclusion

The IELTS speaking and writing section has become a means whose content vividly reflects the candidate's style, social change, and environmental awareness. With a comprehensive understanding of the syllabus, targeted preparation, and diligent practice, candidates can enhance their linguistic proficiency and confidently tackle each section. Knowing the aforementioned vocabulary words can be a good tool for self-expression and communication.

If you want to know more about how to score high bands in the IELTS examination and the IELTS score required for admission at the top institutions, reach out to Yocket Premium. Yocket experts will help you streamline your preparation and will guide you through the complex process of studying abroad. Connect with Yocket experts today!

Frequently Asked Questions for IELTS Vocabulary Preparation

How many months of preparation are needed for the IELTS?

Which is the most difficult section of the IELTS examination?

How much vocabulary is enough to score well in the IELTS?

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