75+ Common English Words Used in IELTS Speaking Test

Accurate

correct or precise

Adjacent

nearby, next to

Advocate

support

Aromatic

fragrant; having a pleasant and distinctive smell

Awesome

extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring awe

Awful

very bad or unpleasant

Barely

only just; almost no

Beneficial

favorable or advantageous; resulting in good

Blonde

having fair or light-colored hair

Certainly

without doubt; surely

Chance

opportunity; occurrence and development of events

Combat

take action to reduce or prevent (something bad or undesirable)

Consecutive

following continuously

Convey

communicate

Debate

argue about (a subject), especially in a formal manner

Deceptive

giving an appearance or impression different from the true one; misleading

Deduce

arrive at (a fact or a conclusion) by reasoning; draw as a logical conclusion

Diminish

make or become less

Disclose

make (secret or new information) known

Dynamic

characterized by constant change, activity, or progress; energetic

Eager

having or showing keen interest or enthusiasm

Easing

making (something unpleasant or intense) less serious or severe

Effortlessly

with ease; without effort or difficulty

Evident

plain or obvious; clearly seen or understood

Fake

not genuine; counterfeit or fraudulent

Faulty

having or displaying faults; not perfect; defective

Flout

openly disregard (a rule, law, or convention)

Fright

sudden intense feeling of fear

Generous

showing a readiness to give more of something

Genuinely

in a sincere and genuine manner

Gorgeous

beautiful; very attractive

Grasp

seize and hold firmly

Hack

cut with rough or heavy blows; gain unauthorized access to data in a system or computer

Hasty

done with excessive speed or urgency; hurried

Hostile

unfriendly; antagonistic

Immediate

occurring or done at once; instant

Impact

action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another

Incentive

thing that motivates or encourages one to do something

Inferior

lower in rank, status, or quality

Jarring

incongruous in a striking or shocking way; clashing

Jargon

special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand

Keenly

in a sharp or penetrating way

Knack

an acquired or natural skill at performing a task

Leading

acting as a guide; primary or principal

Likely

probable; expected to happen or be true

Lately

recently; not long ago

Magnificient

impressively beautiful, elaborate, or extravagant; striking

Mandatory

required by law or rules; compulsory

Merely

just; only

Negligent

failing to take proper care in doing something

Notorious

famous or well known, typically for some poor quality or deed

Noted

well known or worth noticing; famous

Obstacle

thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress

Offensive

causing someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry

Passionate

showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief

Potentially

with the capacity to develop or become something in the future

Priviledge

special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group

Qualify

be entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition

Quest

long or arduous search for something

Recall

bring (a fact, event, or situation) back into one's mind, especially so as to recount it to others

Rebel

person who rises in opposition or armed resistance against an established government or ruler

Reliable

consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted

Remote

far away in distance; distant

Sense

faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus

Sincere

free from pretense or deceit; genuine

Spacious

having ample space; roomy

Substantial

of considerable importance, size, or worth

Tend

regularly or frequently behave in a particular way or have a certain characteristic

Thoughtful

showing consideration for the needs of other people; considerate

Threaten

express one's intention to harm or kill (someone)

Unanimously

without opposition; with the agreement of all people involved

Unusual

not habitually or commonly occurring or done

Ultimately

finally; in the end

Vaguely

in a way that is uncertain, indefinite, or unclear; roughly

Vigilant

keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties

Worthy

having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in a specified way

Wreck

the remains of something that has been badly damaged or destroyed

Yield

produce or provide (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product)

Zealous

showing zeal; fervent or enthusiastic devotion, often extreme or fanatical

Zenith

the time at which something is most powerful or successful

Animals

A fish out of water

A person who feels uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.

Animal Idioms for IELTS Speaking

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

Never predict success before it happens.

Raining cats and dogs

Raining heavily.

Let the cat out of the bag

Reveal a secret.

Kill two birds with one stone

Accomplish two goals with one action.

Health

Alive and kicking

To be alive, well, and active.

Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic : Health, illness, and death

Go under the knife

To undergo surgery.

Not feeling like myself

Feeling different due to illness or distress.

To have a new lease of life

Renewed sense of vitality after a difficult period.

Under the weather

Feeling unwell or sick.

Fit as a fiddle

To be in very good health.

Break a sweat

To exert effort, especially physically.

Money

Cost an arm and a leg

Very expensive.

Money Idioms: Meaning, Usage, and Exercise

Save for a rainy day

Save money for difficult times.

Make ends meet

To survive financially.

Live from hand to mouth

To have little money.

Pay through the nose

Pay much more than a fair price.

Foot the bill

To pay for something, often reluctantly.

Happiness & Anger

Lose my cool

To become angry or lose composure.

Useful Idioms & Expressions About Happiness And Anger

Go through the roof

Extreme emotions, usually anger.

Make my blood boil

To feel extreme anger.

Over the moon

Extremely happy or delighted.

Made my day

Something that greatly improves one's day.

Music to my ears

Something very pleasing to hear.

Food

Bitter pill to swallow

An unpleasant truth or situation to accept.

Ten Food Idioms that are right under your nose to help Score Band 8.0+

Cry over spilt milk

To be upset over something irreversible.

Food for thought

Something that prompts reflection.

Hard nut to crack

A difficult problem or situation.

To be spoon-fed

To receive information in an overly easy manner.

Have a sweet tooth

Love sugary foods.

Bite off more than you can chew

Take on a task bigger than one’s ability.

Travel

Hit the road

Begin a journey.

IELTS Travel, Tourism & Adventure Vocabulary 

From pillar to post

Moving continuously without stability.

Live out of a suitcase

Travel frequently without a permanent home.

At the wheel

Driving a vehicle.

Hitch a lift/ride

Get a ride from someone else.

To travel on a shoestring

Travel with a limited budget.

In the middle of nowhere

A remote and isolated location.

Sports

Hit it out of the park

Do something exceptionally well.

IELTS Sports Vocabulary

Keep your eye on the ball

Linking Words for Time

• Now / At Present / Right Now

• At the moment

• These days / Nowadays

• In the past / Earlier

• At that time

• When I was younger

Linking Words for Causes and Solutions

• The main reason is

• It was caused by

• I guess it’s because

• The best way to deal with this problem is / The best way to solve this is

Linking Words for Adding Information

• And

• Also

• As well as

Phrases to Begin with

• I’d like to talk about…

• I’m gonna talk about…

• I’d like to tell you about…

Linking Phrases to Express Opinion

• I’m convinced that… / I’m sure that…

• I suppose… / I think… / I’d say…

• I believe that…

• It’s difficult to say… / I tend to think that… / That’s a tricky one… / I’ve never thought about that…

• In my view… / In my opinion…

• To be honest,…