IELTS
Vocabulary PDF
About this PDF
Vocabulary is a very important part of the IELTS. It’s also important to understand that
each section of the IELTS requires different vocabulary. In this PDF, we’ll list vocabulary
words for the Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking sections. Within each of the
four sections of the PDF, we’ll look at vocabulary words that deal with different topics.
We’ll also look at structure vocabulary: transitions, introductory words, words that
describe quantity or change, and so on.
How to use this PDF
The Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary PDF highlights a wide variety of IELTS vocabulary.
The focus is on vocabulary words for specific subject areas and purposes. This PDF is
not meant to be a full list of all of the most common IELTS words. For that, you’ll want to
check out Magoosh’s IELTS vocabulary flashcards.
You can think of this document as a companion to the longer set of vocabulary words in
Magoosh’s IELTS Flashcard decks. The flashcards help you drill with a large number of
words. Then, this PDF gives you guidance on how these words are used to discuss
certain ideas or serve certain functions.
, 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IELTS Listening Vocabulary
Work 2
Travel and Places 3
Family 5
School Life 6
IELTS Reading Vocabulary
Vocabulary in Context Strategies 10
The Academic Word List 11
Special Focus: Environment and Life Science Words 12
IELTS Writing Vocabulary
General Training Task 1 15
Academic Task 1 15
Academic Task 2 17
IELTS Speaking Vocabulary
Giving and Getting information 21
Common Questions 23
Transitions for IELTS Speaking 24
Vocabulary for Common Speaking Topics 26
About the Authors 36
ielts.magoosh.com
, 2
IELTS Listening
IELTS Listening deals with a variety of subjects. But IELTS listening topics all have one
thing in common: they involve conversational English vocabulary.
In fact, most IELTS listening audio tracks are conversations. But even IELTS Listening
speeches have some conversational language; they’re spoken as if they’re being given
to a live audience.
Perhaps the most common topics in IELTS Listening are work, travel, family, and school
life. Below is some common vocabulary within these topics.
Work
Work is a common topic in IELTS listening. Here are a few useful work-related
vocabulary words:
career
“Career” is a more board term than “occupation.” It refers to the category of work
someone does, and suggests a long-term commitment. To help you understand
the difference between occupation and career, I will tell you about my career and
the occupations I’ve had in it. I have a career as an educator. My current
occupation in this career is a Test Expert position here at Magoosh. As a part-
time occupation, I am also a language tutor. And earlier in my education career, I
was occupied (the verb form of occupation) as a middle school teacher, and then
as a university professor.
shift work
“Shift work” refers to work that is scheduled with a specific beginning and ending
time. A shift at a workplace often lasts 8 hours, but can be shorter. Shift work is
usually paid on an hourly basis.
salary work
Salary work may have an expected schedule, a shift where the worker will
normally be at work. But the schedule and hours per day for salary work are not
as strictly controlled. A salary worker may have to work much longer hours than
usual on a given day, or come in on the weekends. Sometimes, however, a
salary worker’s situation is the opposite. A salary worker may also work shorter
hours and have more freedom to leave the workplace during their normally
scheduled shifts. Salary workers aren’t paid by the hour and instead receive a
fixed rate of pay per week or month.
ielts.magoosh.com
, 3
unskilled/skilled
Unskilled work is work that requires little or no training, such as fry cook work at a
fast food restaurant, or work cleaning and maintaining buildings. Skilled work
does require training. Some workers are so highly skilled that they have doctoral
degrees — lawyers and doctors for examples. Other skilled occupations require
less training. Skilled work as a plumber, computer programmer, or automotive
repairman may only require a four-year degree, a two-year degree, or an even
shorter certification.
manual labour
“Manual labour” refers to work that is very physical, requiring a lot of strength and
physical activity. Manual labour jobs include unskilled work such as stocking
shelves at a grocery store, and skilled work such as welding.
Travel and Places
Travel and locations are commonly discussed in IELTS Listening conversations, and in
some IELTS Listening solo speeches.
accommodation
On the IELTS, “accommodation” has two meanings. It can mean the place where
you live. This use is especially likely to come up in IELTS Speaking, where you
may be asked to describe the accommodation you live in. In travel conversations,
often heard on IELTS Speaking audio tracks, “accommodation” refers to the
places people stay while they are travelling, places such as hotels, inns, and
hostels.
transport
“Transport” refers to the way that people move from one place to another if they
aren’t walking. In IELTS conversations, there will be talk about long distance
transport, such as trains and airplanes taken to holiday destinations. There will
also be discussion of transport within a town or neighbourhood, such as the use
of a car, bicycle, scooter, or bus to get to work, school, or the supermarket.
city centre
The city centre is the business district found in the middle of a city. Sometimes
this centre is also referred to as “downtown.”
ielts.magoosh.com
Vocabulary PDF
About this PDF
Vocabulary is a very important part of the IELTS. It’s also important to understand that
each section of the IELTS requires different vocabulary. In this PDF, we’ll list vocabulary
words for the Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking sections. Within each of the
four sections of the PDF, we’ll look at vocabulary words that deal with different topics.
We’ll also look at structure vocabulary: transitions, introductory words, words that
describe quantity or change, and so on.
How to use this PDF
The Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary PDF highlights a wide variety of IELTS vocabulary.
The focus is on vocabulary words for specific subject areas and purposes. This PDF is
not meant to be a full list of all of the most common IELTS words. For that, you’ll want to
check out Magoosh’s IELTS vocabulary flashcards.
You can think of this document as a companion to the longer set of vocabulary words in
Magoosh’s IELTS Flashcard decks. The flashcards help you drill with a large number of
words. Then, this PDF gives you guidance on how these words are used to discuss
certain ideas or serve certain functions.
, 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IELTS Listening Vocabulary
Work 2
Travel and Places 3
Family 5
School Life 6
IELTS Reading Vocabulary
Vocabulary in Context Strategies 10
The Academic Word List 11
Special Focus: Environment and Life Science Words 12
IELTS Writing Vocabulary
General Training Task 1 15
Academic Task 1 15
Academic Task 2 17
IELTS Speaking Vocabulary
Giving and Getting information 21
Common Questions 23
Transitions for IELTS Speaking 24
Vocabulary for Common Speaking Topics 26
About the Authors 36
ielts.magoosh.com
, 2
IELTS Listening
IELTS Listening deals with a variety of subjects. But IELTS listening topics all have one
thing in common: they involve conversational English vocabulary.
In fact, most IELTS listening audio tracks are conversations. But even IELTS Listening
speeches have some conversational language; they’re spoken as if they’re being given
to a live audience.
Perhaps the most common topics in IELTS Listening are work, travel, family, and school
life. Below is some common vocabulary within these topics.
Work
Work is a common topic in IELTS listening. Here are a few useful work-related
vocabulary words:
career
“Career” is a more board term than “occupation.” It refers to the category of work
someone does, and suggests a long-term commitment. To help you understand
the difference between occupation and career, I will tell you about my career and
the occupations I’ve had in it. I have a career as an educator. My current
occupation in this career is a Test Expert position here at Magoosh. As a part-
time occupation, I am also a language tutor. And earlier in my education career, I
was occupied (the verb form of occupation) as a middle school teacher, and then
as a university professor.
shift work
“Shift work” refers to work that is scheduled with a specific beginning and ending
time. A shift at a workplace often lasts 8 hours, but can be shorter. Shift work is
usually paid on an hourly basis.
salary work
Salary work may have an expected schedule, a shift where the worker will
normally be at work. But the schedule and hours per day for salary work are not
as strictly controlled. A salary worker may have to work much longer hours than
usual on a given day, or come in on the weekends. Sometimes, however, a
salary worker’s situation is the opposite. A salary worker may also work shorter
hours and have more freedom to leave the workplace during their normally
scheduled shifts. Salary workers aren’t paid by the hour and instead receive a
fixed rate of pay per week or month.
ielts.magoosh.com
, 3
unskilled/skilled
Unskilled work is work that requires little or no training, such as fry cook work at a
fast food restaurant, or work cleaning and maintaining buildings. Skilled work
does require training. Some workers are so highly skilled that they have doctoral
degrees — lawyers and doctors for examples. Other skilled occupations require
less training. Skilled work as a plumber, computer programmer, or automotive
repairman may only require a four-year degree, a two-year degree, or an even
shorter certification.
manual labour
“Manual labour” refers to work that is very physical, requiring a lot of strength and
physical activity. Manual labour jobs include unskilled work such as stocking
shelves at a grocery store, and skilled work such as welding.
Travel and Places
Travel and locations are commonly discussed in IELTS Listening conversations, and in
some IELTS Listening solo speeches.
accommodation
On the IELTS, “accommodation” has two meanings. It can mean the place where
you live. This use is especially likely to come up in IELTS Speaking, where you
may be asked to describe the accommodation you live in. In travel conversations,
often heard on IELTS Speaking audio tracks, “accommodation” refers to the
places people stay while they are travelling, places such as hotels, inns, and
hostels.
transport
“Transport” refers to the way that people move from one place to another if they
aren’t walking. In IELTS conversations, there will be talk about long distance
transport, such as trains and airplanes taken to holiday destinations. There will
also be discussion of transport within a town or neighbourhood, such as the use
of a car, bicycle, scooter, or bus to get to work, school, or the supermarket.
city centre
The city centre is the business district found in the middle of a city. Sometimes
this centre is also referred to as “downtown.”
ielts.magoosh.com
