Vocabulary for IELTS Writing – Topic-wise Word Lists & Usage

Vocabulary for IELTS Writing – Topic-wise Word Lists & Usage

Using correct and varied vocabulary is one of the most important things you can do to get a good score on IELTS Writing Tasks 1 and 2. Test takers want to see that you can explain your thoughts in a formal, intellectual way.

This post can help you:

Learn how the words you use affect your band score
Learn common college words by subject
Effectively use conjunctions, synonyms, and linked words
Don’t make these common word mistakes

Let’s put together your writing kit one piece at a time.

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Why Word Choice Is Important for IELTS Writing

This is what the IELTS Writing band description for Lexical Resource (25 percent of your score) looks at:

• The number of words you use
• How correct and fitting the words used are
• Your skill at staying away from repetition
• How to use idioms, collocations, and an intellectual tone

To get a score of 7 or higher, you need to use a range of exact words that are related to the subject.

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Things That Come Up a Lot in IELTS Writing Task 2

Here are some of the most common areas where you’ll need specific words:

• Getting around
• Learning
• Well-being
• Technology
• Law and Crime
• Work and the Economy
• Around the world
• Society and Culture
• Politics and the government
• Communication and media

Let’s look at each one with word lists, examples of how to use them together, and full lines.

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1. Words Used in the Environment with Examples

• Changes in climate: Climate change is a very big problem for species
• CO2 emissions: A lot of greenhouse gas pollutants come from industries
• Renewable power: Solar power is an eco-friendly way to get energy that doesn’t run out
• Loss of trees: Many species lose their homes when trees are cut down
• Long lasting: To be sustainable, growth must take both economic and environmental issues into account

Word groups:

Damage to the world
The carbon footprint
Tools that use less energy

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2. Education Vocabulary Word Examples and How to Use Them

• Curriculum: More useful skills should be taught in school
• Rate of literacy: More people in poor countries are learning to read and write
• More schooling: Access to higher education is still hard to get in rural places
• Vocational training: This type of training gives you real-world practice
• Distance learning: During the pandemic, many people started to learn from afar

Word groups:
Tests that everyone takes
How well you do in school
Learning for life

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3. Health Word Examples and How to Use Them

• Public health: More money should be put into public health programs by the government
• System for health care: Death rates go up when the health care system isn’t strong
• Being overweight: Alarmingly high numbers of kids are overweight or obese
• Health and mental: Mental health education should be taught in schools
• What to eat: Good diet is very important for a child’s growth

Word groups:
Insurance for health
Diseases that can be avoided
Getting health care

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4. Technology Word List with Examples

• Automation and intelligence: The job market is changing because of artificial intelligence
• Automation: Less work needs to be done by hand because of automation
• Safety online: There are more and more threats to cybersecurity
• New ideas: The economy grows because of new ideas
• The digital divide: The digital gap makes things less equal

Word groups:
Progress in technology
Access to the internet
Privacy of info

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5. Crime and Law Vocabulary Words and How to Use Them

• Crime rate: This year, there has been a big drop in crime
• Keeping the peace: Law enforcement needs to get better training
• Scare tactic: Bad punishments can stop people from doing bad things
• Getting better: Prisons should not only punish people, but also help them get better
• Defending children: In cities, juvenile crime is becoming a bigger problem

Word groups:
System for handling crimes
The death penalty
Chances of reoffending

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6. Work and Economy Vocabulary Word Examples and How to Use Them

• Not working: Unemployment makes society less stable
• Price rises: When inflation is high, the value of money goes down
• GDP: A higher GDP means that the economy is growing
• Work from home: Working from home has spread around the world
• Balance between work and life: Work-life balance should be encouraged by employers

Word groups:
A drop in the economy
The job market
Differences in pay

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7. Globalisation Word Examples and How to Use Them

• World trade: Global trade makes it easier for economies to work together
• Getting help: Local jobs may be lost because of outsourcing
• Exchange of cultures: Cultural sharing helps people understand each other better
• Needing each other: Countries rely on each other more and more
• International business: Global markets are dominated by multinational companies

Word groups:
World integration
Connectivity between economies
Bringing all cultures together

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8. Society and Culture Word Examples

• Tradition: A lot of young people are turning away from traditional ideals
• Cultural heritage: Museums keep cultural heritage alive so that future generations can enjoy it
• What people do: In different countries, social values are very different
• Many cultures: Different points of view are available in multicultural cultures
• Having equal rights for men and women is important for social growth

Word groups:
Different cultures
Unity in society
Ideals in society

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9. Politics and Government Vocabulary Words and How to Use Them

• Democracy: People in a democracy have a say in how the government works
• Government rules: The needs of the people should guide public action
• Corruption: Most people don’t trust corrupt people
• Office work: Too much red tape slows down the decision-making process
• Laws: The goal of new laws is to make workplaces safer

Word groups:
Stability in politics
Government money
Tax changes

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10. Communication and the Media Words to Know and How to Use Them

• Internet sites: People’s thoughts are affected by social media
• The internet: Is a fast place for fake news to spread
• Press and TV: The mass media are very important for schooling
• Closing off: Censorship limits the right to free speech
• Writing for a: Investigative writing shows how corrupt things are

Word groups:
Press freedom
Media bias
An open station

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Linking Phrases That Will Help with Clarity

These will help you connect your ideas and organise your writing well:

Useful Phrases
Adding ideas: Furthermore, additionally
Giving examples: For instance, to show, for example
Contrasting: But, on the other hand, even though
Cause and effect: Because of, due to, as a result
In the end: To sum up, overall

Don’t use “and” or “but” too much or start every sentence the same way. Variety makes fluency and logic better.

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Common Vocabulary Mistakes to Avoid

 

• When writing articles, use “children” instead of “kids” and “purchase” instead of “buy”
• Using the same words over and over: “important” → “crucial,” “vital,” “essential”
• Not using proper grammar: Don’t use too many academic words unless you know how to use them right
• Use the wrong words together: Say “take a risk,” not “do a risk”

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How to Get Better at Words for IELTS Writing

• Check out sample writings for Band 8 and above to see how vocabulary is used
• Keep a vocabulary notebook with words, their meanings, how they are used, and similar words
• Work on rewriting lines from sample answers
• Use tools like Quizlet or Anki to make flashcards
• Learn more than just single words

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Word Challenge
Put these three words together in a sentence:

• Bad for you
• The infrastructure
• Give out

Example: The government should give money to better transport infrastructure because bad roads can hurt the economy.

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Thoughts for Now
To do well on the IELTS Writing test, you need to have a large vocabulary. But remember that being correct is more important than using big words. It is better to write accurately and clearly than to use hard words in the wrong way.

Use these topic-by-topic lists to learn more, and every day, write your own lines. Over time, your writing will sound smoother, more academic, and better to people who are grade you.

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