Frequently Used IELTS Vocabulary for Speaking and Writing

IELTS speaking tests the students’ vocabulary in the language that helps in understanding the speaking skills of the students. Different topics are included within IELTS speaking. Students need to ensure that they are well prepared for the IELTS Speaking test as it is one of the most difficult parts including complex topics.

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IELTS Vocabulary
Exercise

Matching

1. Prodigy

Answer: a person with great ability that shows itself early on in life
Explanation: prodigy means a person who is able to show early growth and development in life which explains the match of the word with its meaning.

2. proximity

Answer: nearness to something
Explanation: the meaning of the word proximity means presence and close to a relationship or space which justifies the match of the word with nearness to something

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Read More IELTS Vocabulary Related Articles

3. Rudimentary

Answer: Basic
Explanation: the word rudimentary is used to define basic principles or related to basic forms used in sentences like “he received a rudimentary education”

4. Tyro

Answer: a novice, someone new to an activity
Explanation: tyro refers to someone who is a beginner or novice in an activity or skill used in sentences like “ he is still a tyro in tennis and needs to learn hard”

5. Uproar

Answer: a lot of angry complaints about something
Explanation: the use of the word uproar is made when someone tries to protest angrily about something like “the media caused an uproar in the city” hence, signifying the meaning of the word.

6. Vehemence

Answer: the expression of strong feelings
Explanation: the use of the word vehemence is made when someone is trying to express strong feelings in sentences like “he reacts with vehemence”.

7. Vestige

Answer: a trace, mark or sign left by something which has now disappeared
Explanation: the use of the word vestige refers to the trace or mark of something which has disappeared or no longer exists like the colonialism

8. Consensus

Answer: general agreement, majority of opinion
Explanation: the word consensus is used when people try to collectively agree on an issue or opinion of someone hence, matching the meaning of the word with the phrases

9. Attrition

Answer: the act of weakening or damaging by harassment, abuse or attack
Explanation: the word attrition is used to describe a situation which has been damaged or a person attacked

10. Ambiguous

Answer: vague, unclear, uncertain, open to interpretation
Explanation: the word ambiguous is appropriate matches with vague, unclear, uncertain and open to interaction because it is used for situations that can have more than one interpretation

11. Animosity

Answer: ill will or bad feeling
Explanation: the word refers to ill will or bad feeling implying a situation where someone is hostile in a situation and used in describing bad feelings.

12. Duplicity

Answer: dishonest talk or behavior, saying contradictory things to different sides
Explanation: duplicity is a word which means contradictory things being said by a person to different people or in different situations which justifies matching the word with these phrases

13. Impediment

Answer: a barrier to progress, an obstacle
Explanation: the word impediment is used as a noun for situations where the focus considers that there is an obstruction for a certain task hence, matching the word with the phrases.

14. Nuance

Answer: a slight difference in appearance, meaning, or sound etc.
Explanation: when explaining minimal differences between something, the use of the word nuance can be considered appropriate hence, matching the meaning with the word.

15. Nausea

Answer: sickness, when you feel ill enough to vomit
Explanation: nausea mainly refers to a person feeling sick enough to vomit hence, using one word than describing the situation

16. Prerogative

Answer: a right you have not necessarily afforded to everyone
Explanation: the word is used to describe someone who has exclusive rights over something or someone.

17. Neglect

Answer: abuse, lack of care, failure to carry out your responsibilities
Explanation: the word neglect refers to a situation of being irresponsible, or failing to fulfill responsibilities matching the word with its meaning.

18. Jeopardy

Answer: exposure to death, loss, threat etc., at risk
Explanation: jeopardy is a word used in situations where one is at serious risk of death or losing something or someone.

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Use words 1-18 from the previous exercise to fill the gaps in the sentences below. You will need to use each word once only. You will not have to change the form. Pluralise if required.

1. There is a lot of___________ between them stemming from when she left him for his younger brother. Naturally, he found it hard to forgive her for that and the tension in the room is palpable when they are together.

Answer: Animosity
Explanation: the word animosity meaning bad feeling is justified to be used here to describe the bad feelings of him that he has for her because she chose his younger brother.

2. It is a rather___________ role; I am not sure it is entirely clear from the job specification what will be required of me, but all I can do is go in there and give it my best shot.

Answer: ambiguous
Explanation: the word ambiguous means vague or unclear which can be considered apt as the person is unclear about the job specifications.

3. This is quite simply a war of___________ and the winner will be the last man standing.

Answer: attrition
Explanation: attrition refers to weaning a situation with attack or abuse and clearly being a war, it is the matter of attrition or attack and only the last person alive would be the winner.

4. I am afraid that my job will be in___________ when this merger finally goes through; I mean, there are sure to be some non-core members of staff who lose their jobs as a result of synergy. Will I be one of them?

Answer: jeopardy
Explanation: the person is at risk of losing the job as a consequence of the merger hence, the use of the word jeopardy is appropriate.

5. The general___________ is that she will stand down at the next election and allow the deputy leader to take over.

Answer: consensus
Explanation: consensus refers to the agreement by the majority which the above sentence is apt for considering that it is from the collective agreement that she will stand down in the next election for the deputy leader to take over.

6. Whether and when I take time off is entirely up to me; that is my___________ – one of the luxuries of actually owning the company.

Answer: prerogative
Explanation: the word prerogative means having exclusive rights for something which from the above sentence means that the person has exclusive rights of taking time off because she owns the company.

7. The most significant ___________ to change in the company is its CEO; sadly, while he’s at the helm our problems look certain to continue.

Answer: impediment
Explanation: the word impediment refers to an obstacle which is clearly appropriate with the fact that changing a company’s CEO is a huge impediment.

8. She suffered from ___________ at the hands of her abusive, alcoholic mother.

Answer: neglect
Explanation: the word neglect refers to an abuse or lack of care which she faced as per the sentence because of her alcoholic mother.

9. It’s a fairly___________ piece of kit – no complicated technology inside or anything – but, that said, I have yet to find a more modern rival product to match its accuracy and portability.

Answer: rudimentary
Explanation: the word rudimentary refers to having basic principles properties which the above sentence considers that the piece of kit is rudimentary

10. One of the___________ of my new role as Financial Officer compared to my previous job title of Accounts Manager is that I am now officially responsible for allocating departmental spending. Other than that, the two jobs are virtually identical.

Answer: nuances
Explanation: the word nuance means having slight or simple differences which the person in the sentence has in terms of her new and old job role as a financial officer.

11. ___________ is a common side-effect of undergoing a course of chemotherapy treatment.

Answer: nausea
Explanation: the word nausea means feeling sick enough for vomiting which is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment apt for the above sentence.

12. He is but a(n) ___________ and I wouldn’t take his advice too seriously. If you want the views of an old hand, why don’t you ask Max Minton? He’s been working here for donkey’s years.

Answer: tyro
Explanation: tyro means novice or a beginner for an activity based on which the above sentence states that he is a beginner from whom advice should be taken.

13. This engine is the last ___________ of a once great car manufacturer of the early 20th century.

Answer: vestige
Explanation: vestige means the mark of which has disappeared and based on the above sentence states that the engine has remained a vestige of a great car manufacturer in the 20th century.

14. She is some sort of child___________ ; at the age of twelve she has already been enrolled in an undergraduate degree course.

Answer: prodigy
Explanation: the word prodigy means someone having certain abilities early in life which the above sentence focuses on considering the twelve-year-old child a prodigy for enrolling in an undergraduate course

15. Residents on the east coast of Ireland are extremely hostile to the idea of further development of the Sellafield nuclear power plant given its relatively close ___________to them; should disaster strike and an easterly wind be blowing, they will be right in the line of fire of the radioactive gasses.

Answer: proximity
Explanation: nearness or closeness to a region or space is known as proximity. Based on the above sentence, the developments in Sellafield nuclear power plant can be considered hostile for people living in close proximity of the region, the word proximity is used.

16. The announcement of a new value-based tax on houses has caused ___________ with many saying they will refuse to pay the charge.

Answer: uproar
Explanation: uproar means angry complaints made against something. The above sentence states that the new value-added tax on houses caused an uproar among the residents with many saying they will refuse to pay the charge.

17. His___________ really is quite remarkable; he told our firm that he wanted the merger as much as anyone and would help us convince the major shareholders to come on board, but now I learn that he has advised them to reject the bid.

Answer: duplicity
Explanation: duplicity means having contradictory views or statements with different people. The word duplicity is apt for the above sentence where his quality is identified with duplicity.

18. Such was the ___________ with which she spoke that it was difficult not to be convinced by her argument.

Answer: vehemence
Explanation: the word means having or showcasing strong feelings which the above sentence considers that she spoke with vehemence and it was difficult not to be convinced by her argument.