Vocabulary is hugely important for IELTS, and there are many word lists available to help you build a stronger vocabulary. But which list is the best? And how should you use these word lists?
In this short guide, Sheldon Smith from EAPFoundation.com explains the strengths and limitations of 4 well-known vocabulary lists, and gives useful tips on how to use them
🗂️ Download the full interview here (PDF).
Top 4 Word Lists for IELTS
1. The Academic Word List (AWL)
This is the most well-known word list and is a useful starting point for IELTS preparation. However, many of the words are ‘low frequency’ and you may waste time learning them all.
2. The New General Service List (NGSL)
This list contains around 3000 of the most common (‘high frequency’) words in English. However, it does not focus on academic language.
3. The Academic Vocabulary List (AVL)
This is a more modern academic word list. However, like most lists, it focuses mainly on single words rather than how words are actually used together.
4. The Academic Collocation List (ACL)
This is a large list of academic word combinations (collocations) that shows how words commonly go together, with useful frequency information included.
😵💫 The problem with word lists
Learners often try to learn all of the words on the lists, and they become overwhelmed, or they spend time on vocabulary that is not useful for IELTS.
✓ Do
Use word lists as a guide, not as a complete learning system.
Study words in example sentences so you understand how they are used.
Learn common phrases and collocations, not just individual words.
Review new vocabulary regularly and use it in your own speaking and writing.
✗ Don’t
Try to memorise every word on a list.
Assume every word in a word family is equally useful.
Rely on just one word list for all your vocabulary learning.
Learn words without understanding their meaning, pronunciation, or grammar.
Study vocabulary in isolation without seeing it in context.
😌 My IELTS Vocabulary List
Instead of trying to learn ALL the words from ALL the lists, you’ll get better results from a single list that is specifically focused on IELTS.
- shows you which words to learn
- shows the words in real IELTS contexts
- helps you use these words to answer real IELTS questions
It simplifies vocabulary learning into a structured system so you can start using the most useful language for your IELTS score.
If you want a more efficient way to build strong IELTS vocabulary without getting lost in different lists, this is the easiest place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many words should I learn?
Some studies suggest that you need to learn around 8000 to 9000 words to get a higher score (Band 7+) in IELTS.
But there are different levels of knowing a word.
So, forget about how many words you should learn, and focus instead on choosing to study new words when you meet them, and slowly build up your vocabulary.
*See this 2012 article ‘A reassessment of frequency and vocabulary size in L2 vocabulary teaching’ (Schmitt & Schmitt)
One of the best videos related to Ielts that I have ever seen. Thanks Fiona and Sheldon .
Thanks Dhan!
Thanks Fiona for arranging the content so well. Thanks also to Dina, Evi, Pam and Kin Man for their insightful questions that helped me to organise my thoughts. I hope you (and others) find the ideas helpful in your efforts not just to learn English, but also to learn how to learn.
Thank you for the explanation. It’s really accurate that I often use a translation that made me just focus on the meaning as I thought that is the fastest way to learn many words. But now I know that I should broaden my methods to learn new vocabulary and be patient with the process as mentioned above.
Hi Evi. I’m really glad that Sheldon’s advice helped you out. He’s checking the comments so I’m sure he’ll see it!
Best wishes
Fiona
Thank you for providing such a clear and useful article. I really enjoyed watching the vocabulary videos on YouTube and these help me a lot.
Hi Pam,
Many thanks for your comment – I’ll pass it on to Sheldon! I’m so lucky to have you as my student,
Best wishes
Fiona