IELTS High-Scoring Vocabulary List

The IELTS is more than a test of comprehension it’s a measure of your linguistic fluency and sophistication. To achieve a Band 7.0 and above, you must demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary, or Lexical Resource, using precise, less common words accurately.

This list focuses on versatile, high-impact words you can immediately integrate into your Writing and Speaking sections.

List of IELTS High-Scoring Vocabulary List

Word	Meaning	Example Sentence
Alleviate	Reduce or lessen	Governments should invest in public transport to alleviate traffic congestion.
Ambiguous	Unclear or having multiple meanings	The results were ambiguous and required further research.
Ample	More than enough	The country has ample resources to support renewable energy projects.
Anomaly	Something unusual or unexpected	The sudden drop in temperature was an anomaly.
Apparent	Clearly visible or understood	It is apparent that education plays a vital role in economic growth.
Assert	To state confidently	Scientists assert that climate change is accelerating.
Assess	Evaluate or judge	It is important to assess the impact of social media on students.
Attribute	To regard as caused by	Many experts attribute rising obesity to poor dietary habits.
Beneficial	Helpful or useful	Regular exercise is beneficial for mental health.
Burgeoning	Growing rapidly	There is a burgeoning demand for online education.
Coherent	Logical and consistent	His argument was coherent and easy to follow.
Comprehensive	Complete and detailed	A comprehensive plan is required to tackle pollution.
Conducive	Making a situation likely	A quiet environment is conducive to studying.
Conspicuous	Easily noticeable	Her conspicuous absence raised concerns.
Constraint	A limitation	Financial constraints prevent many students from studying abroad.
Controversial	Causing disagreement	Animal testing remains a controversial issue.
Convoluted	Extremely complex	The policy’s convoluted structure confused many citizens.
Credible	Believable	The report was based on credible scientific evidence.
Crucial	Extremely important	Water conservation is crucial for future generations.
Cumulative	Increasing gradually	The cumulative effects of pollution are alarming.
Detrimental	Harmful	Smoking has detrimental effects on health.
Deviate	To move away from a standard	The project deviated from its original plan.
Diminish	Reduce	Governments should diminish reliance on fossil fuels.
Discrepancy	A difference or inconsistency	There is a discrepancy between theory and practice.
Discretion	The freedom to decide	Teachers should have discretion in choosing teaching methods.
Disseminate	Spread widely	The internet disseminates information rapidly.
Distort	Twist or misrepresent	Media can distort facts to attract attention.
Diverse	Varied	A diverse workforce improves creativity.
Drastic	Extreme	Drastic measures are needed to combat climate change.
Elicit	To draw out a response	The survey elicited valuable feedback.
Embrace	Accept willingly	Many companies embrace remote work.
Emphasize	Stress or highlight	The study emphasizes the importance of early education.
Endeavor	To try hard	We must endeavor to protect natural habitats.
Enhance	Improve	Technology enhances learning outcomes.
Enumerate	To list	The report enumerates several causes of unemployment.
Eradicate	Remove completely	Vaccination helped eradicate many deadly diseases.
Escalate	Increase rapidly	Food prices have escalated due to inflation.
Establish	Set up or prove	Scientists established a link between diet and health.
Evaluate	Judge or assess	It is difficult to evaluate long-term effects quickly.
Evident	Clear	It is evident that urbanization affects wildlife.
Exacerbate	Make worse	Cutting down forests exacerbates global warming.
Feasible	Possible or workable	Solar energy is a feasible alternative.
Fluctuate	Rise and fall	Oil prices fluctuate frequently.
Foster	Encourage	Schools should foster creativity among children.
Fundamental	Basic or essential	Clean water is fundamental to human survival.
Generate	Produce	Factories generate thousands of jobs.
Inevitable	Certain to happen	Change is inevitable in modern society.
Inhibit	Prevent or slow down	Fear can inhibit personal growth.
Initiate	Begin or start	The government initiated a new healthcare program.
Integrate	Combine	Technology should be integrated into classrooms.
Intrinsic	Essential or naturally belonging	Creativity is intrinsic to human nature.
Justify	Provide reasons for	He could not justify the high cost.
Mitigate	Reduce the impact	Planting trees can mitigate air pollution.
Notion	Idea or belief	The notion that money brings happiness is debatable.
Obligation	Duty or responsibility	Citizens have an obligation to obey the law.
Omit	Leave out	The report omitted important details.
Optimistic	Hopeful	Experts remain optimistic about economic recovery.
Outweigh	Be more important than	The benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Paradigm	A model or pattern	Online learning has created a new paradigm in education.
Perceive	Understand or interpret	Children perceive information differently from adults.
Persistent	Continuing firmly	Persistent efforts lead to success.
Pivotal	Very important	Education plays a pivotal role in development.
Plausible	Reasonable or believable	Her explanation seemed plausible.
Predominantly	Mainly	Rural areas are predominantly agricultural.
Prolific	Highly productive	She is a prolific writer.
Prolong	Extend duration	Stress can prolong recovery time.
Prominent	Important or well-known	He is a prominent figure in economics.
Prosper	Succeed or thrive	Small businesses struggle to prosper.
Redundant	Unnecessary	Many jobs became redundant due to automation.
Reinforce	Strengthen	Regular practice reinforces memory.
Reluctant	Unwilling	Many parents are reluctant to let kids use gadgets.
Render	Cause to become	The damage rendered the building unsafe.
Scrutinize	Examine closely	Experts scrutinize the data before publishing.
Simultaneous	Happening at the same time	The two events occurred simultaneously.
Sophisticated	Complex or advanced	Modern smartphones are highly sophisticated.
Substantiate	Provide evidence	He failed to substantiate his claims.
Substantial	Large or significant	There was a substantial increase in profits.
Subsequent	Coming after	Subsequent studies proved the theory correct.
Supplement	Add to or enhance	Vitamins supplement the diet.
Surpass	Exceed or go beyond	The company’s performance surpassed expectations.
Sustainable	Environmentally friendly	Sustainable practices are essential for the planet.
Tangible	Real and measurable	The project produced tangible results.
Undermine	Weaken or damage	Poor planning can undermine progress.
Unprecedented	Never happened before	The pandemic caused unprecedented challenges.
Viable	Workable or possible	Wind power is a viable solution.
Vital	Absolutely necessary	Sleep is vital for concentration.
Widespread	Common across many areas	Internet access is widespread globally.
Adequate	Enough or satisfactory	The budget is not adequate for expansion.
Advocate	Support publicly	Many doctors advocate regular exercise.
Ambitious	Having strong desire to succeed	The plan is ambitious but achievable.
Analogous	Comparable	The two situations are analogous.
Catalyst	Something that speeds up change	Technology acts as a catalyst for innovation.
Compelling	Very convincing	His speech was compelling and inspiring.
Consequence	Result or effect	Pollution is a consequence of rapid industrialization.
Consensus	General agreement	Experts reached a consensus on the issue.
Derive	Obtain from a source	Many medicines are derived from plants.
Disparity	Great difference	There is a disparity between rich and poor.
Explicit	Clear and detailed	The instructions were explicit and easy to follow.
Impede	Delay or block	Heavy traffic impedes emergency vehicles.
Ironic	Opposite of expected	It is ironic that the fire station caught fire.
Marginal	Small or insignificant	The improvement was marginal.
Reinstate	Restore to original position	The worker was reinstated after review.

Versatile Adjectives for Analysis

High-scoring candidates use adjectives to qualify statements with precision, avoiding simple words like “good,” “bad,” or “important.”

Word	Definition	IELTS Context Example
Crucial	Decisive or critical, especially in the success or failure of something.	Achieving sustainable development is crucial* for the planet’s future.*
Inherent	Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute.	The risks inherent* in space exploration are well documented.*
Plausible	Seeming reasonable or probable; believable.	While the argument is interesting, the solution proposed is not entirely plausible.
Integral	Necessary to make a whole complete; essential or fundamental.	Technology is an integral* part of modern education.*
Ubiquitous	Present, appearing, or found everywhere.	The ubiquitous* nature of smartphones has transformed social interaction.*

Powerful Verbs for Argumentation

Using strong, active verbs is key to expressing ideas clearly and forcefully, especially when presenting arguments (Writing Task 2) or opinions (Speaking Part 3).

Word	Definition	IELTS Context Example
Exacerbate	To make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.	Rising consumerism only serves to exacerbate* environmental damage.*
Underscore	To emphasize the importance of something.	The recent heatwave underscores* the urgent need for climate action.*
Alleviate	To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe.	Governments should implement policies to alleviate* poverty in rural areas.*
Delineate	To describe or portray something precisely.	The essay clearly delineates* the causes and effects of urbanization.*
Constitute	To be a part of a whole; to form or make up.	These small actions constitute* a significant effort toward community welfare.*

Sophisticated Nouns for Depth

Replace generic nouns with more specific, academic alternatives to add depth to your discourse.

Word	Definition	IELTS Context Example
Dilemma	A situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives.	The ethical dilemma* facing scientists today is immense.*
Prevalence	The fact of something being widespread or common at a particular time.	The increasing prevalence* of stress-related illnesses is alarming.*
Efficacy	The ability to produce a desired or intended result.	We must assess the efficacy* of the new teaching methods.*
Acumen	The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, especially in a particular domain.	Successful entrepreneurs often possess remarkable business acumen.
Detriment	The state of being harmed or damaged.	Focusing solely on economic growth is often to the detriment* of social cohesion.*

By strategically replacing common terms with these high-scoring alternatives, you will showcase a superior command of English, moving you closer to the band score you desire.

IELTS High-Scoring Vocabulary List