Enhancing Your IELTS Lexical Range: Words and Techniques That Work

What are some high‑scoring vocabulary items for the IELTS exam, and how can you ensure they are not easily forgotten? This article outlines commonly used lexical items frequently employed by high‑band candidates, along with an effective method for retaining new vocabulary with confidence.

 Every language has many words that are similar in spelling, meaning, and pronunciation. For example, there is a subtle difference in meaning between talk and say, and witch and which have the same pronunciation but completely different meanings. Actively think about whether you have learned similar words before and immediately figure out where they are different. This will help you remember them more and more clearly.

 You've probably all heard of the "Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve." Forgetting is actually quite normal; if we don't review, even if we learned it in class and practiced using it, we'll quickly forget it. Therefore, we should review regularly, trying to use the same word multiple times in different times, places, and sentences, turning short-term memory into long-term memory! If you accidentally forget it the next time you want to use it, don't be easily discouraged. After all, the secret to learning is secondary; the most important thing is to persevere.

It all comes down to one's own enthusiasm and mindset for learning!

When breaking down English vocabulary, you can try to divide it into...

Identify the roots and affixes of words. For example, the word "unbelievable" can be broken down into /un/believ/able. Remember that -un can be interpreted as "not" or "no"; "-able" often appears in adjectives; and finally, remember that "believe" means "to believe". By piecing together these words, you can find recurring affixes in other words and summarize their similarities, which helps in memorizing a large number of words.

 Below is a list of common IELTS vocabulary words frequently used by high-scoring test takers: