Low Band Score? Peruse These 500+ Most Frequently Used Words for IELTS Vocabulary Enhancement

Introduction

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) was founded by the British Council, along with partnered organizations IDP English and Cambridge Assessment English. It started during the 1980s to assess the four English Macro Skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Moreover, IELTS is an international standardized test used by people who want to study or stay abroad from their country to an English-speaking country.

This standardized test aims to assess individuals who want to go to an English-speaking environment and be able to live with people who speak English. It could be for studying, work, and life skills purposes. However, this test has only two main categories: academic and the general training courses.

These two courses have the same set of tests to be taken. However, they have different treatments depending on the provided topic, especially in writing and speaking. These two are considered productive skills. The candidate must formulate messages in written and spoken English—especially the IELTS vocabulary words to be included in both media.

According to David Wills (2018), who has worked as an IELTS instructor since 2010, in his journal,

“You see, writing is hard. Even native speakers make mistakes in punctuation, spelling, and grammar. We do it all the time.”

With this, not everyone is perfect and even if you are a native speaker, you are not exempt and be held advantageous.

On the other hand, speaking English is easy. However, what makes it difficult is the word choices to convey a message. It is important to use highly advanced vocabulary words in speaking as well, as it is also part of the criteria to be assessed namely the Lexical Resource. Using simple IELTS vocabulary words can also affect your band score.

The Purpose of Studying IELTS Courses

Studying thoroughly for the IELTS makes the candidate more aware of the rules and how to ace different Macro Skills. Not just about the Productive Skills — Speaking and Writing, but also the Receptive Skills — Listening and Reading. The latter also needs IELTS vocabulary words to understand some sentences and concepts.

Having a profound vocabulary is a great advantage to ace the four tests. Moreover, the Receptive skills need vocabulary words to decipher the true meaning because it uses synonymous words to be used on the test booklet. Below are the purposes of learning IELTS courses before taking the test:

Builds Up Vocabulary

You can learn words that are suitable for every test you are going to take. Each test requires vocabulary words to understand and to produce a message. These vocabulary words are your weapon in taking the IELTS Examination, especially when the candidate aims for a band score of 8 and up.

Makes You Aware of the Rules and Structures

Taking IELTS Courses before taking the real IELTS Examination makes you familiar with the rules and structures of each test. It has different formatting and answering strategies, especially in writing and speaking.

Helps You Become Prepared

IELTS Courses prepare an individual for the real IELTS Test because it provides a variety of mock tests to enhance one’s skills. It can also assess your English proficiency in each Macro Skills. Moreover, doing mock tests can help you check your progress and areas of improvement. The teachers will provide feedback and stress your weaknesses and how to improve them.

IELTS Vocabulary Enhancement for Receptive Skills

For candidates who have lower band scores when it comes to listening and reading, here are some IELTS vocabulary words that are frequently used. Remember: This test was established by the British Council and it will be evaluated in different band descriptors for each Macro Skills. Therefore, the IELTS vocabulary words should be in British English as well. For example, colour not color; organisation not organization; lift not elevator, flat not apartment, and many more.

Days of the Week
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Months of the Year
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Day Equivalents
Week = 7 days
Months = 30-31 days
Quarter = every 4 months
Semiannual = every 6 months
Year = 365 days
Decades = 10 years
Score = 20 years
Silver Jubilee – 27 years
Golden Jubilee – 50 years
Diamond – 60 years
Jubilee – 57 years
Century = 100 years
Millennium = 1000 years

Cardinal Numbers
One, Two, Three. Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-one, Fifty-five, One hundred

Ordinal Numbers
First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Twentieth, Twenty-first, One hundredth, One hundred and first

Street Addresses
Avenue, Crosswalk, Highway, Street, Boulevard, Road, Strip, Alley, Lane, Pavement, Park, Square, Court, Bridge, Crescent, Crossroads, Roundabout

Colours

Red: Crimson, Garnet, Ruby, Scarlet, Rose, Vermillion, Burgundy, Wine, Maroon, Blood

Orange: Marigold, Tangerine, Rust, Carrot, Cantaloupe, Flesh, Peach, Apricot, Cream, Tan

Yellow: Canary, Gold, Daffodil, Butter, Sepia, Incandescent, Amber, Blonde, Champagne, Lemon, Ochre, Mustard

Green: Evergreen, Emerald, Lime, Mint, Chartreuse, Sage, Army, Jade, Verdant, Peridot, Olive

Blue: Cerulean, Skyblue, Cobalt, Navy, Periwinkle, Sapphire, Azure, Teal, Denim, Indigo, Turquoise, Aquamarine, Cyan

Violet: Lilac, Purple, Mauve, Lavender, Magenta, Periwinkle, Amethyst

Pink: Fuchsia, Flamingo, Hot Pink, Crepe, Rosewood, Coral

Subjects
English, Mathematics, Science, Physics, Psychology, Astronomy, Astrology, Finance, Engineering, Geography, Linguistics, Literature, Commerce, Home Economics, Cookery, IT, Philosophy, Political Science

Continents
Asia, Australia & Oceania, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Antarctica

Countries
China, England, Japan, the Philippines, Russia, the United States of America (USA), the United Arad Emirate (UAE), Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Greece, Turkey, North Korea, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Namibia

Languages
Welsh, French, British, Filipino, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Thai, Mongolian, Italian, Spanish, Hindi, Bengali, Javanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Telugu, Rajasthani

College/ University
Paper, paperwork, lesson, laptop, book, library, module, syllabus, admission, proofreading, notes, notepad, group discussion, outreach, speech, seminar, research, report, study room, canteen, stadium, dining hall, student’s lounge, teacher’s office, experiments, laboratory, auditorium, assignment, activity, campus

Research Words
Hypothesis, scope, delimitations, alternative, null, snowball, sampling, cluster, introduction, methodology, conceptual framework, descriptive, experimental, quasi-experimental, theoretical framework, in-text citation, references, quantitative, qualitative, APA Style, MLA Style

Transportation
Ship, gondola, jeepney, car, pedicab, taxi, bus, metro, train, airplane, sailboat, jet plane, bicycle, tricycle, motorbike, helicopter, parachute, hot air balloon

Shapes
Circle, triangle, square, rectangle, star, diamond, trapezoid, parallelogram, sphere, pyramid, cone, cube, cylinder, oval, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, scalene

Culinary
Marinate, sauté, mince, slice, dressing, stir, beat, stew, chill, grill, grate, sprinkle, rinse, golden brown, fry, froth, chunk, chop, cuisine

Weather
Sunny, snowy, rainy, stormy, thundery, cloudy, drizzling, freezing, smog, misty, foggy, clear, dry, gloomy, hot, warm, cool, lightning, hail storm, sand storm, tornado, whirlwind, cold

Feelings
Happy: fulfilled, great, ecstatic, excited, delighted, glad, satisfied, pleased, optimistic, blessed, cheerful, joyful, mirthful, blithe, blissful

Sad: dismay, crestfallen, blue, woeful, dull, gloomy, downcast, unhappy, wistful, upset, grieved, dismal, dejected, depressed,

Angry: Fury, agitated, petrified, tense, horrified, mad, madman, suspenseful, fearsome

Disgust: scorn, hostility, annoyance, loathing, repulsion, grudge, discontent, irritation, hate, dislike, despise

Fear: apprehensive, dread, awe, panic, alarm, nightmare, creepiness, fright, qualms, consternation

Places
Cottage, local library, sports center, city council, road, supermarket, university, parliament, hospital, restaurant, park, bookshop, main road, police station, fire station

Nature
Grassland, lawn, field, garden, landslide, storm, typhoon, cyclone, earthquake, tsunami, coast, lake, gulf, plateau, volcano, hill, spring, stream, reef, valley, peninsula, islands

IELTS Vocabulary Enhancement for Productive Skills

For candidates who need more confidence in their English speaking and writing tests, these IELTS vocabulary can help you build the foundation. This can help you enhance your productive skills. Having Mock tests can also help you mold yourself to become a good speaker and writer using the English language.

Instead of “Very” Words

Very happy – thrilled
Very sad – devastated
Very angry – furious
Very good – great
Very new – brand new
Very short – brief
Very weak – fragile
Very strong – powerful
Very dumb – asinine
Very funny – hilarious
Very boring – tedious
Very dull – mundane
Very clean – spotless
Very ugly – hideous
Very bad – awful
Very beautiful – gorgeous
Very smart – brilliant
Very loud – deafening
Very dirty – filthy
Very rich – wealthy
Very poor – destitute
Very rare – obsolete
Very busy – swamped
Very quiet – silent
Very long – lengthy
Very big – enormous
Very tasty – delicious
Very hungry – ravenous
Very tired – exhausted
Very thirsty – parched
Very full – stuffed
Very careful – cautious
Very dangerous – perilous
Very scary – terrifying

Very annoying – infuriating
Very colorful – vibrant
Very large – colossal
Very clear – vivid
Very cheap – stingy
Very simple – basic
Very difficult – challenging
Very important – crucial
Very upset – distraught
Very slow – sluggish
Very cold – freezing
Very hot – scorching
Very lazy – lackadaisical
Very calm – serene
Very scenery- picturesque
Very wet – soaked
Very dry – arid
Very worried – anxious
Very attractive – charming
Very shy – timid
Very confused – perplexed
Very sleepy – lethargic
Very loved – adored
Very exciting – exhilarating
Very thin – gaunt
Very secret – clandestine
Very often – frequently
Very cute – adorable
Very evil – wicked
Very fancy – lavish
Very lively – vivacious
Very neat – immaculate
Very bad – atrocious
Very chaotic – pandemonium

Very rude – vulgar
Very talkative – loquacious
Very roomy – spacious
Very wise – sagacious
Very perfect – flawless
Very shiny – gleaming
Very sparkly – stellar
Very scared – petrified
Very pale – ashen
Very fast – rapid
Very tall – towering
Very tight – constricting
Very expensive – costly
Very eager – keen
Very true – genuine
Very creative – innovative
Very afraid – apprehensive
Very detailed – meticulous
Very deep – profound
Very different – disparate
Very crowded – bustling
Very complete – comprehensive
Very painful – excruciating
Very old – archaic
Very wit – clever
Very sarcastic – satirical
Very similar – identical
Very humble – modest
Very arrogant – boastful
Very crispy – crunchy
Very regretful – remorseful
Very rusty – corroded

Locations

In
On
At
Under
Below
Above
Beyond
In Between
In front of

Next To
Behind
Across
In the middle
In the centre
North ↑
South ↓
East →
West ←

To the North
To the South
To the East
To the West
At the top
At the bottom
Alongside
Nearby

Advanced Words (Simple – Advance)

Fool – idiot
Particular – specific
Independent – autonomous
Vote – volition
Choice – prerogative
Produce – innovate
Selfish – egoistic
Inventory – stock
Able – capable
Bless – bestow
Pass to someone – bequeath
Well-mannered – polite
To bring something up – to raise
Problem – phenomenon
Hypothesis – speculation
To oversee – supervise
Ballot – poll
Glitter – sparkle
Unusual – odd
Strange – unorthodox
Never known before – unprecedented
Nice – pleasing
Attitude – demeanour
Suggest – propose
Before – prior
New – fresh
Fight – argue
Belly – stomach
Hate – loathe
Throw garbage – litter
Wonderful – marvelous
Important – essential
Cruel – mean
Obligatory – compulsory

Many – numerous
Manipulate – maneuver
Uncared – neglected
Obvious – transparent
Unaware – Oblivious
Short time – ephemeral
Reliable – trustworthy
Thinking too much – apprehensive
Opposite – contrary
Friendly – amiable
Possible – feasible
Use – utilize
Give – provide
Appearance – countenance
Calm – tranquil
Peaceful – serene
Courage – valor
Fearless – dauntless
Mistake – blunder
Lots of – ample
Easy to manipulate – gullible
Miserable – morose
Shameless – brazen
Not strict – lack
Slow to understand things – obtuse
Large crowd – hordes
Detailed list of things – itemized
Make something ba better – ameliorate
Increasing – ascending
Decreasing – descending
New member – novice
Rumor – hearsay
Really exciting – exhilarating
Strong and aggressive – fierce

Very bad and unpleasant – foul
Mood – temper
Bitter and angry – acrimonious
Very kind- benevolent
Mysterious – cryptic
To belittle or criticize – disparage
Lacks plan, purpose, energy – desultory
Remove – eradicate
Empty it – deplete
Happened by chance – fortuitous
Sociable person – gregarious
In large numbers or groups – hegemony
Too great and extreme – ineffable
A particular point in time – juncture
Difficult and complicated – knotty
Sloe and relaxed – languid
Wicked or criminal – nefarious
Famous in a bad way – notorious
Difficult to understand – obfuscate
A solution to a problem – panacea
Unrealistic and impractical – quixotic
Aggressively greedy – rapacious
Positive in bad situations – sanguine
Saying a little – taciturn
Everywhere at a time – ubiquitous
Showing strong feelings – vehement
Read carefully – peruse
A feeling of regretful longing – wistful
Death – demise
Stop – cease
Intense longing – yearning
Energetic and enthusiastic – zealous

Food and Drinks Vocabulary

Brussels sprouts – mushy
Coconut – moldy
Bread – stale
Fish – spoiled
Beef – moldy
Gin – flat
Clam – moldy
Squash – rotten
Tea – bitter
Milk – spoiled
Broccoli – wilted
Strawberry – fermented
Plum – overripe
Beer – skunky
Pear – rotten
Watermelon – mealy
Lamb – rotten
Salt – clumped
Venison – rancid
Pepper – stale
Oil – rancid
Sweet potato – sprouted
Mustard – separated
Honey – crystallized
Chicken – slimy
Zucchini – moldy
Turkey – rancid
Bacon – rancid
Egg – cracked
Tomato – rotten
Kiwi – shriveled
Cream – curdled
Meat – rotten
Rice – weeviled

Peach – bruised
Vodka – spoiled
Pasta – soggy
Ham – moldy
Flour – infested
Coffee – stale
Raspberry – mushy
Mussel – rotten
Yogurt – spoiled
Apple – bruised
Papaya – rotten
Cheese – moldy
Blackberry – moldy
Orange – dry
Mango – mushy
Spinach – soggy
Oyster – spoiled
Potato – sprouted
Cauliflower – spoiled
Cider – fermented
Radish – dried out
Sugar – crystallized
Canned food – expired
Asparagus – shriveled
Onion – spoiled
Cherry – moldy
Champagne – flat
Garlic – dried out
Whiskey – flat
Cucumber – limp
Rum – rancid
Grapes – shriveled
Shrimp – spoiled
Avocado – browned

Lemon – moldy
Blueberry – squished
Jelly – crystallized
Ice cream – melted
Peanut butter – separated
Spices – faded
Eggplant – mushy
Pumpkin – moldy
Banana – overripe
Pineapple – fermented
Bell pepper – wrinkled
Juice – fermented
Sausage – spoiled
Jam – moldy
Butter – rancid
Artichoke – moldy
Water – stagnant
Lobster – mushy
Lettuce – wilted
Carrot – mushy
Duck – spoiled
Lime – shriveled
Soy sauce – spoiled
Syrup – fermented
Soda – flat
Crab – spoiled
Celery – limp
Pork – rancid
Vinegar – cloudy
Melon – spoiled
Beet – rotten
Wine – oxidized

Transitional Words

Addition:

Along with
Moreover
In addition
Furthermore
Apart from this
Additionally
Also
Too
Besides
Not only… but also
More so

Emphasis:

Obviously
Particularly
Especially
Clearly
Specifically
Undoubtedly
Essentially
Without a doubt
It should be noted
Caveat
Absolutely
Definitely

Result:

As a result
Thus
With this
All in all
Hence
Henceforth
Consequently
Due to
For this reason
Therefore

Illustration:

For example
Such as
To illustrate
For instance
Especially
Particularly
To clarify
Including
Namely
Following are

Generalisation:

In general
Generally
For the most part
As the rule
On the whole
In most cases
Some studies show

Conclusion:

As can be seen
Generally speaking
As shown above
According to the aforesaid
Given these points
In the long run
All things considered
Finally
Considering these reasons
As noted

Contrast:

Unlike
Consequently
However
Meanwhile
On the other hand
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
Notwithstanding
Whereas
In contrary
To counter
Even so
Differing from
Despite/ In spite of
Apart of

Following:

At this time
Before anything else
To begin with
Currently
Firstly, secondly, … finally
First and foremost
Finally
Before
Previously
First, next, then, lastly

Comparison:

Just as
Similarly
Just as
Compare to
Correspondingly
Simultaneously
Equally
In comparison with

Summary:

To sum it all
In conclusion
In a nutshell
In short
Briefly
Altogether
Overall
All in all
To summarize
In essence

Condition:

If
In that case
Possibly
Perhaps
Maybe
Even when
Could… would
Unless
Under any circumstances
Except

Time Collocations:

Former
Latter
Amidst/ Amid
As soon as
When
As of now
Recently
Currently
After
Before
Prior
Succeeding
Once
Until
By the time

5 Tips for IELTS Vocabulary Enhancement

It is important to note that applying some tips as your strategy in each test is a must. It can help you to get a higher score and improve your testmanship. Choosing QQEnglish as your partner in your IELTS Journey is a great way to improve yourself and your IELTS vocabulary, along with passionate and dedicated teachers, for your abroad preparation. Thus, below are some tips to enhance your vocabulary in each test:

Listening

You need to listen carefully to the instructions and the amount of words to be used. The test items are in chronological order, so there is no need to jump to the other items. A lot of synonyms will be used in this part. Thus, having a great IELTS vocabulary helps you to ace this.

Practice active listening.
Know different English accents.
Write keywords from the material prior to listening.
Read the test items thoroughly before listening.
Take notes while listening and pay attention to synonyms.

Reading

There are a lot of paraphrased sentences on the questions that differ from the exact word choices in the passage. Some test items are not arranged chronologically, which would take you some time to look for answers. For this reason, you need to pay attention to the main idea of the sentences or paragraphs.

Read varied informative resources.
Have a word bank for your vocabulary.
Get the gist.
Take note of context clues, paraphrases, and sentence structures.
Master fast reading skills and the art of prediction.

Speaking

You need to integrate highly advanced words into your speaking test to show mastery of the English language. It assesses how well you know some words in English, especially those that are rare. As such, you need to speak spontaneously, as well, to sound natural when using those advanced IELTS vocabulary words.

Practice speaking English every day.
Record and listen to yourself.
Enhance your pronunciation.
Engage with a native speaker.
Fluency over perfection.

Writing

This is the most complicated test to be taken because it has many rules to follow. It is important to know the difference between literary words and technical words. Some words are applicable to creative writing but not to academic writing. Consequently, it can affect your band score. Moreover, the usage of punctuation marks, various grammar tenses, correct spellings, and the organization of ideas are also things to consider. Having a varied range of IELTS vocabulary is helpful as it can show how well you can paraphrase and substitute the words in the given rubric.

Write some keywords while drafting your answer.
Make sure the ideas are connected and consistent.
Proofread and revise as much as possible.
Use various grammar structures.
Practice writing with a timer.

Key Takeaways

Learning English is difficult yet fun if you are fond of learning new words in English. However, having a profound IELTS vocabulary is not a guarantee of getting an overall band 9.0, rather it can help you elevate your score. It can also show how well you can apply words in English and how to use them spontaneously without hesitation and confusion.