Speaking – Vocabulary List by IELTS Topic

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

1. A lifelong friend – A friend that you have had for most of your life
2. A relationship of trust – a connection with another in which you have faith and confidence
3. Arrange a dinner date – Plan to share an evening meal
4. A shoulder to cry on – Someone to sympathize with you
5. Close knit family – A close family with common interests
6. Dear to my heart – Someone that I care about
7. Distant cousins – People who share a common ancestor but are not closely related
8. Extend the hand of friendship – Reach out to someone in a friendly manner
9. Extended family – Uncles, aunts and cousins form part of the extended family
10. Face to face – In person
11. Get to know one another – Learning different aspects of each other
12. Get together – Meet up
13. Immediate family – Spouse, parents, children, grandparents
14. Long lost friend – A friend that you have lost contact with
15. Long-term relationships – A committed relationship between partners
16. Nurture our friendships – Looking after our relationships with friends
17. Professional relationships – The relationships that we have in the workplace
18. Relationship problems – Difficulties with people with whom we interact regularly
19. Share a common background – The share a similar heritage or culture
20. Share the same ideas – To have similar opinions and views
21. Stand the test of time – To last a long time
22. Struck up a friendship – To make friends
23. To enjoy someone’s company – To enjoy spending time with someone
24. To have a good working relationship – To work together well
25. To have a lot in common – To have shared interests
26. To hit it off – To like each other straight away
27. To keep in touch with – To keep in contact
28. To lose touch with – To lose contact

FOOD

1. A balanced diet – A diet that has the right amount of nutrients

2. A bottle of bubbly – Sparkling wine
3. A decadent chocolate pudding – Luxurious or self-indulgent chocolate pudding
4. A doggy bag – The leftovers of a meal in a restaurant taken home
5. A scrumptious meal – A delicious meal
6. A sweet tooth – An enjoyment of sweet food
7. An English breakfast – A large cooked breakfast that includes egg and bacon
8. Calm the hunger pangs – To reduce the discomfort caused by hunger
9. Candle lit dinner – A romantic dinner by candlelight
10. Covered in a rich sauce – Covered in a creamy gravy
11. Cut down on – To reduce consumption
12. Daily consumption – The amount that you eat everyday
13. Dying of hunger – Very hungry
14. Exotic meals – Meals that originate in other countries
15. Fine dining – Food catering to expensive tastes in a formal setting
16. Food preparation – Preparing food
17. Food production – Producing food
18. Fussy eater – Someone dislikes many foods
19. Home cooked meals – Meals cooked at home
20. Homemade food – Food made at home
21. Junk food – Food with little nutritional value
22. Leafy vegetables – Vegetables such as spinach and cabbage
23. Mouth-watering meals – Delicious meals
24. Nutritious food – Food with many nutrients
25. Packed with vitamins – Full of vitamins
26. Piping hot cup of coffee – Very hot coffee
27. Pub lunch – Lunch served in a bar
28. Rabbit food – Salad vegetables
29. Ready meals – Heat and eat meals
30. Refined carbohydrates – Foods such as white rice, white bread
31. Savouring the food – Enjoying the food
32. Scrumptious meal – An exceptionally tasty meal
33. Seasonal fruits – Fruits that grow in season
34. Starving hungry – Extremely hungry
35. Wining and dining – Entertainment that includes good food

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

1. Affordable destinations – Places within a reasonable price range

2. Affordable travel – Travel which is within your price range
3. Around the world – In all corners of the globe
4. Arts and culture – The art, music and other cultural aspects of an area
5. Craft markets – Stalls where goods made by the local people are sold
6. Do as the locals do – Enjoy the activities as the local people do
7. Efficient public transport – A functioning transport system intended for the use of residents and visitors
8. Exotic destinations – Unusual or strange holiday destinations
9. Get around – Get from place to place
10. Guided tours – Walking, hiking or driving visits led by a guide who knows the area
11. Holiday brochures – Pamphlets advertising holiday destinations
12. Holiday destination – Place to which you leave on holiday
13. Long haul flights – Long distance flights
14. Lush rainforests – Luxuriant equatorial forests
15. Magnificent landscapes – Impressive scenery
16. Make advance reservations – Booking ahead of time
17. Memorable experiences – Activities that you will remember for years
18. Off the beaten track – A place that is not on the main thoroughfare
19. Out of season – Outside the most popular holiday period
20. Packaged deals – Travel deals that are put together by an agency and sold as a package
21. Quaint villages – Old fashioned or charming small towns
22. Scenic views – Lovely scenes
23. Self-catering accommodation – A Place to stay where you see to your own food
24. Spectacular beaches – Impressive sandy shorelines
25. Stunning architecture – Magnificent buildings
26. Swarming with tourists – Full of holidaymakers
27. Time on their hands – Available time to do as you choose
28. To get away from it all – To get away from everyday routines
29. To go sightseeing – Take a trip around an area to see what it has to offer
30. Travel abroad – Travel to overseas destinations
31. Travelling light – Travelling with little luggage
32. Value for money – A good return on investment
33. Visa regulations – Laws that relate to entry into a country
34. Wildlife safari – A guided tour through a game park

TECHNOLOGY

1. Access to the Internet – Able to connect to the Internet

2. Advances in technology – Progressive forward movement in technology
3. Back up your files – To save your data to another device
4. Become rapidly obsolete – Quickly become out of date
5. Computer literate – Adequate knowledge of a computer
6. Control remotely – To control technology from a distance
7. Downloading from the Internet – Take data off one computer to another via the Internet
8. Electronic Funds Transfer – EFT Payment via the Internet
9. Emerging technology – Brand new machines and software
10. Glued to the screen – Unable or unwilling to leave the digital device
11. Hacking into the network – To gain illegal access to the computer
12. Internet access – The ability to enter the Internet
13. Internet of Things – A network connecting machines in a location so that they can be remotely
controlled
14. Internet-enabled – Machines or appliances that have Internet access
15. Keep a hard copy – Keep a paper copy
16. Labour saving device – An appliance that saves work
17. Not rocket science – It is not very difficult
18. Online piracy – The downloading of licenced media without payment
19. Re-install the programs – To put computer programs back onto the computer
20. Shop online – Shop via the Internet
21. Shut down – Turn the computer off
22. Social media networks – Online platforms for communication between people and organisations
23. State of the art technology – The best technology available
24. Surfing the web – To move from one site to another on the Internet
25. To click on an icon – To use the mouse to click on the pictures to get into programs
26. To crash – To stop working suddenly
27. To Log in – To sign onto the computer
28. To upgrade your computer system – To get a larger, quicker or more modern computer
29. Wireless hotspots – A location where the Internet is available

THE ENVIRONMENT

1. outskirts of large towns: areas outside the city centre, suburbs or industrial district
2. factory emissions: smoke and pollution from factories
3. toxic fumes: smoke which is poisonous
4. traffic jams: large queues of cars not moving
5. pollutants in foods: dangerous chemicals
6. pesticides: chemicals to keep bugs and animals away from plants
7. chemical fertilizers: chemicals added to make soil stronger
8. commute to work: drive or travel to work every day
9. Mantra: frequently repeated statement
10. reuse and recycle: use products again or find another purpose for them
11. industrial waste is incinerated: waste which is burnt
12. facilities for recycling: places where you can dispose of plastic / cardboard
13. education programme: teaching and learning in school or elsewhere
14. consequences: the outcomes
15. interspersed with (birds): mingled with, mixed with
16. campaign: high profile policy for the public
17. scientists predict: ideas for the future
18. disintegrate: break down into small particles
19. microplastics: very tiny pieces
20. single-use applications: use once then throw out
21. own- brand products: unique to the shop or supermarket
22. policy should be rolled out: implemented all over the country
23. documentaries: factual TV programmes

PEOPLE AND PERSONALITY

1. confident: in control
2. awkward: uncomfortable
3. underneath the surface, I am paddling like a swan: looking calm but not feeling it.
4. put up a façade: to pretend to be something you are not
5. a control freak: to want to do things yourself
6. an eye for detail: making sure everything is perfect
7. reliable and dependable: be trusted not to let someone down
8. punctuality: being on time
9. disrespectful: impolite
10. a negative trait: bad characteristic
11. parental way: behave like a mother or final
12. interpersonal skills: be good at talking to others
13. empathetic: understanding others emotions
14. generous listener: take time to hear what others are saying
15. to emulate: to be like
16. considerate: kind and thoughtful
17. insecure: shy and not confident
18. moody: sometimes happy and sometimes sad/ cross

FITNESS AND HEALTH

1. balanced diet: eating a sensible mix of different foods

2. conscientious about my health: watching and caring about your heath
3. flavoursome and appealing: good to eat and looking attractive
4. convenient take away: food which you can eat at home
5. healthier eating habits: eating less sugar or salt
6. productive at work: achieving more, better results
7. processed meat: meat in which there are additives or chemicals
8. function successfully: to work, perform in a great way
9. tempted by diets: interested in other ways of eating
10. adopted a vegan diet: a vegan does not eat meat, or dairy foods
11. broad minded: open to other ideas
12. Sceptical: not believing something
13. over production of meat: factories or agricultural methods which are focused on this
14. Public service education message: advice from the government
15. Positive reinforcement: rewarding people for doing the right thing

SCHOOL AND EDUCATION

1. authentic: real, true

2. old-school strict: traditional learning with punishments and controlling teachers
3. teacher centred: where the teacher is leading the class
4. encourage collaboration: learning together through discussions
5. pressure to meet deadlines: having to finish work by a certain time / date
6. assignments: homework or essays
7. sail through them: not to have to work hard and to find things easy
8. learning expectations: what the teacher expects from their student
9. role plays: acting out a situation to simulate or practice it
10. dictation: writing down what the teacher says, accurately and fast.
11. breakthrough: a new development
12. inspiring: something which makes you want to do better
13. intonation: the ‘singing’ sound of speech
14. paid off: was worth the effort
15. outdated: old fashioned
16. league tables: tables which rank the position of schools according to academic success
17. alumni: students who used to go to a certain school or college
18. boarding school: where students live at school during the term time
19. extra- curricular activities: anything NOT academic, eg sport, drama
20. peer group: students of your own age, in your class
21. remote: not being physically there / learning via computer

WORK AND CAREERS

1. A field (of work): an area or type of career

2. Motivated about: wanting to do well in
3. Internship: working for a short time, sometimes unpaid
4. Apprenticeship: hands on, or practical work to learn a job
5. Hands on: getting involved and doing everything to help
6. Innovative small companies: with new, creative ideas
7. Cutting edge: the best new technology
8. Diagnose: to find out what is wrong
9. Pediatrics: specialist child medicine (also spelled paediatrics)
10. Routine check ups: a regular (not urgent) visit to the doctors
11. Huge appreciation: gratefulness and gratitude
12. Follow up care: an appointment after an operation or illness
13. Lucrative: money making or profitable
14. Highly merited: well deserved
15. Career ladder: moving up through promotions to the top of the company
16. Pension scheme: money for retirement
17. Job security: knowing you can keep your job / job safety
18. Start up community: new small businesses sometimes internet based
19. UNIVERSITY AND STUDENT LIFE
20. Challenging: academically difficult
21. Day in, day out: full time with out a break
22. Wide ranging: covering a large spectrum / area of different knowledge
23. Undergraduate: studying for a degree but having not yet achieved it.
24. Postgraduate: having achieved a degree and now studying for a higher qualification, possibly a
professions qualification
25. STEM subjects: Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
26. Further education: studies after leaving school
27. Technical colleges: places which do not demand such high entrance qualifications as university
28. Vocational studies: focus on learning or mastering a skill
29. Hands on training: practical work/ learning
30. To apply for a course: the process of registering for a university
31. To get an (un)conditional offer: an offer which does not depend on previous exam results
32. Halls of residence / student accommodation: a particular place to live for students
33. Student union: an organisation for students / sometimes a physical place
34. A fresher / an undergraduate / a graduate: a new student, someone studying for a Bachelors degree, a
student who has finished their Degree
35. A graduation ceremony: a formal occasion when Degrees are given out
36. To take a gap year: a year between study and university
37. To drop out of university: to leave before the course is finished
38. Out of my depth: finding work / study too hard
39. Seminar: smaller class of students with a Professor leading the discussion
40. Lecture theatre: large building for a talk / lecture
41. Extensive research: in depth work done in a particular academic field

BOOKS, MOVIES AND ART

1. Curl up with a book: to get comfortable and read.

2. Thrillers or action books: exciting and full of events
3. A strong plotline: good story which keeps moving
4. Cover to cover: from start to finish
5. Rom-com movie: a romantic comedy film
6. Adapted from fiction: a film which was first a book
7. Strong characterisation: the main people are well rounded and believable
8. Recommended to me by a friend: someone suggested that I read it
9. Black humour: funny but rather dark or mysterious as well
10. Genre: the type of film. E.g. horror or comedy
11. Commercial blockbusters: films made for the mass market to generate a lot of income
12. A sea change in something: a fundamental shift
13. Online streaming: watching via the internet
14. To commission a film: to ask for one to be made
15. A valid perspective: a real view / outlook/insight to something
16. Cultural heritage: the background and history of a country
17. Provocative
18. Enchanting
19. Haunting
20. Captivating
21. Compelling
22. Surprisingly comprehensible

CLIMATE CHANGE

1. The ravages of something: destruction of something

2. Hybrid car: a car that uses both petrol and electricity
3. Carbon footprint: how much carbon dioxide is released as a result of one’s activities
4. Recycle: breaking down products to create new products from the materials
5. Growing season: the time of the year when plants grow
6. Yields: amount of a crop produced
7. Crops: a plant grown in large amounts
8. Eco-conscious: describes someone who shows concern for the environment
9. Natural fertilizer: fertilizers that come from animal waste, animal matter or plant matter
10. Chemical fertilizer: fertilizers that are made from synthetic materials
11. Contaminate: to make something impure, poisonous or polluted
12. Groundwater: water that is below the earth’s surface
13. Vegetable scraps: bits of vegetables that are discarded
14. Non-chemical compost: decaying matter such as food, leaves or manure used to fertilize soil
15. Organic: describes something that does not use chemical fertilizers
16. Commute: travel to and from work
17. Solar panels: panels that collect rays from the sun to be used as energy for electricity or heating
18. Household cleaning products: products that are used to clean one’s home
19. Time-consuming: describes something that takes a lot of time
20. Environmentally conscious: when a person or business is aware of their effect on the environment and
attempts to minimize this affect
21. Green lifestyle: a way of living that attempts to reduce usage of water & power, waste and toxic
substances
22. Sustainable: describes something that causes minimal damage to the environment
23. Emulate: to copy someone’s behavior out of respect
24. Conventional products: products that have been in use for a long time
25. Energy saving: describe products designed to reduce use of electricity or other form of energy
26. Fuel emissions: gases that lead to air pollution through the burning of fuel
27. Electric cars: vehicles that run on electricity
28. Food miles: the distance food travels from the time it is produced until it reaches its end customer
29. Local food: food that is produced a short distance from where it is consumed
30. Fossil fuels: coal, gas or oil that is used in industry, homes and vehicles
31. Carbon monoxide: a dangerous gas produced from the partial burning of fuels
32. Dispose: throw away
33. Waterways: lakes, rivers, oceans and canals
34. Ecosystem: the geographic area where animals, plants and other organisms interact
35. Natural habitat: the area where a plant or animal normally lives
36. Tackle: to try to deal with a problem
37. Collective effort: when a group of people try to do something
38. Forge: to create something strong or successful

WORKING FROM HOME

1. Flexibility: being able to change or be changed depending on circumstances

2. Work-life balance: the time spent at your job in comparison to the time spent on your personal life
3. Distraction: something that takes away your attention from something else
4. Burnout: fatigue or tiredness from being overworked
5. Sense of community: when members of a group have a feeling of belonging and that they matter to one
another
6. Colleagues: people you work with
7. Camaraderie: the feeling of friendship and trust that people who work together or spend time together
share
8. Teamwork: when people work together to accomplish a goal
9. Isolation: the feeling or state of being separated from others
10. Productivity: how much you work you produce in relation to how much time you spend
11. Workplace: any location where a person performs a job
12. Work remotely or remote work: when an employee works from home rather than an office and uses the
phone and/or computer to communication
13. Telecommute: same as “remote work”
14. Chained to a desk: when someone feels forced or obligated to work exclusively from their desk
15. 9 to 5: the typical hours of work in many countries. Also can mean normal sometimes boring or
mundane jobs.
16. Carbon footprint: how much carbon dioxide someone/ somethings actions create
17. Sustainability benefits: the results of protecting the environment through less waste and less pollution
18. Environmentally friendly: describes things or activities that do not harm the environment
19. Financially viable: describes something that allows companies to generate income, fulfill responsibilities
and continue to grow
20. Supervision: when someone manages a person or department to make sure rules are followed and work
is done correctly
21. Lockdown: when people are not allowed to leave an area as a security measure
22. Hybrid work: work from both home and office
23. Autonomy: when you make decisions for yourself without the control of others

SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Viral: if a post/ video is viral or “has gone viral,” that means it is spreading very rapidly across the
internet,
2. Troll: used as a verb and a noun. A troll is a person who purposely creates offensive or provocative posts
or comments to arouse anger in other social media users.
3. Hater: a person who posts negative or critical comments about others
4. Vlogger: a person who regularly creates short videos to be posted online
5. Meme: a humorous image or text that is easily sent to others over the internet
6. Anonymity: The state of being anonymous, of people not knowing your identity
7. DM: direct message
8. Emoji: a small digital image used in social media/ emails/ text to display an emotion, object or idea
9. Badger: to bother someone repeatedly
10. Derogatory: offensive, hurtful, disrespectful
11. Censor: to keep certain images. Texts, etc from being displayed or published because it is offensive or
immoral
12. Follow: to subscribe to the page of a person or business on social media
13. Harass: to create a hostile situation through written or verbal communication
14. Catfishing: the act of creating a false internet profile in order to deceive or scam someone
15. Grooming: preparing someone (often a minor) over the internet in order to eventually commit a sexual
offense
16. Influencer: a person who promotes a product online to his/her followers so that they may purchase it
17. Photoshop: software that allows users to digitally alter their images
18. Filters: preset photo enhancements that users can select to apply to their images or videos
19. Block: stopping or banning someone from interacting with you on social media or viewing your posts/
profile
20. Scam: a dishonest attempt to trick or cheat you
21. ADVERTISING
22. Commercials: an advert on tv or radio
23. Imagery: visual images
24. Tantalizing: something that creates desire and excitement
25. Live up to its hype: when something is as good as you expected it to be
26. Product placement: a practice in movies or tv shows when a product or its brand name appear on screen
visibly in order to gain exposure
27. Celebrity endorsement: when a famous person advertises a product by saying he or she uses it
28. Grating: describes sounds that are annoying
29. Inclined to purchase: likely to buy
30. Potential customers: people who might possibly buy your product
31. Turn someone off: to make someone uninterested in something
32. Pop-ups: advertisements that suddenly appear on a computer or device screen.
33. Subconscious: the part of the brain that sees, hears or remembers things that you do not actively
remember
34. Subliminal: describes something that can influence the subconscious mind without the conscious mind
realizing it
35. Billboards: a large outdoor board, usually alongside large roads, used to display an ad
36. Flyer: a small paper advertising a product, business or event
37. Website traffic: the internet users who visit a website
38. Brand awareness: when customers recognize or remember a brand and its qualities
39. Jingle: music that accompanies commercials
40. Telemarketing: the marketing of good or services over the phone
41. Bombard: attack continuously
42. Buying power: the money someone has to buy things
43. Free-for-all: a situation with no rules, limits or restrictions
44. Impressionable: describes a person who is easily influenced

FASHION AND SHOPPING

1. Clothes horse: someone who really likes to buy nice clothes

2. Well put together: describes someone who looks good and who has made effort to do so
3. Pick up: buy
4. Bargain price: a discounted price
5. Be up on the latest trends: to be informed of what is fashionable
6. Social media feed: the updated list of new content available on various social media platforms
7. In fashion: fashionable
8. Replicate: to copy
9. Looks: appearance
10. Lower priced: inexpensive, cheap
11. A fraction of the cost: a small part of the total cost
12. A (great) eye for something: able to notice or make correct judgments about something
13. Clothes rack: rail where clothes are hung for display
14. Shoe display: place where shoes are shown
15. Level of attention: the amount of attention someone pays to something
16. Luxury goods: things that are very expensive to buy but are not considered necessities
17. High-end designers: people who design products sold at very high prices
18. Out of my price range: describes something that is too expensive for someone to buy
19. Incomparable: cannot be compared because it is so good
20. Over the top: extreme, excessive, exaggerated
21. Avant garde: describes music, art, etc, that are unconventional or experimental
22. Ambience: the atmosphere of a location
23. Unparalleled: exceptional; in a category of its own because of its excellence
24. Customer service: the assistance given to customers of a product or service
25. Top-notch: high quality
26. Blow money on something: spend large amounts of money
27. “it” item: something very fashionable
28. Place pressure on: to try to influence or persuade
29. Stay current: to be up to date
30. Spoiled for choice: to have a lot of options available to you
31. High street: the main street where shops, banks and businesses are located.
32. Unfathomable: unimaginable
33. e-shops: stores that do business online
34. click of a button: on a computer or device, something that requires very little effort
35. at your doorstep: at your home or near where you live
36. superimposed: when something is placed over something else so that the image of both items is clear
37. frame: the size and shape of someone’s body
38. digital imagery: the collection of pixels on a screen that create an image
39. brick and mortar stores: a physical shop as opposed to an online shop
40. counterparts: someone who does the same job as someone else somewhere else