IELTS Grammar & Vocabulary
IELTS Vocabulary and Collocations
Lexical Resource rewards natural, accurate vocabulary — not rare words forced into sentences. This lesson shows how to build usable IELTS vocabulary and collocations.
Learn collocations, not just words
Collocations are words that naturally go together. Learning "make a decision", "heavy traffic" or "a significant impact" as chunks makes your English sound natural and boosts your band more than memorising isolated advanced words.
Topic vocabulary to prepare
- Education — curriculum, tuition fees, vocational training, academic performance.
- Environment — carbon emissions, renewable energy, conservation, sustainability.
- Technology — automation, digital literacy, screen time, innovation.
- Society — inequality, cost of living, urbanisation, work-life balance.
Paraphrasing
IELTS constantly rewards paraphrase — saying the same idea in different words. Practise swapping "important" for "crucial/significant/vital" and rewriting whole sentences, since paraphrasing helps in Reading, Listening and both Writing tasks.
Do not memorise "band 9 word lists" and force them in. A misused advanced word lowers your score more than a correct simple one. Only use vocabulary you fully understand.
Test yourself with our free IELTS practice questions and instant scoring.
Take test →Frequently Asked Questions
How do I improve vocabulary for IELTS?+
Read and listen to English daily, record new words as collocations in context, and revise them regularly. Using words in your own sentences fixes them in memory.
Are idioms good for IELTS?+
A few natural idioms help in Speaking, but overusing or misusing them hurts. Prioritise accurate collocations over idioms.