The IELTS Listening test measures your ability to understand spoken English in academic, social, and everyday settings. To excel in this section, a strong vocabulary in IELTS Listening is essential. Knowing common words, phrases, and topic-based terms helps you recognise key details, understand accents, and answer questions accurately.
In this blog, we’ve compiled 350+ IELTS Listening vocabulary words divided by sections — from basic daily words to advanced academic terms — so you can practice and memorise effectively before test day.
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Part 1: Familiar vocabulary words for IELTS Listening
Part 1 of the Listening test covers basic vocabulary that is typically learned when first studying English. This section consists of conversations set in everyday social situations, using familiar word groups related to daily life, dates, times, places, activities, work, and leisure. It is important to pay attention to these commonly used words as they are often misspelled, resulting in unnecessary loss of marks during the easiest part of the Listening test. Here are some key vocabulary words to focus on:
1. Days of the week:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Quick tip: Wednesday is frequently misspelled.
2. Months and seasons of the year:
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, winter, spring, autumn, summer.
Quick tip: The first 'r' in February is commonly omitted. If spelling is challenging, using numerical dates (e.g., 10/02/2020) is an acceptable alternative.
3. Shapes
circle, square, rectangle, triangle, cylinder, oval.
Quick tip: Shapes are also used to describe places in a city, such as King George Square, so it is important to spell common shapes correctly.
4. Transportation
Automobile, truck, tractor, tram, subway, airplane, train, bicycle, car, pedestrian, passenger, commuter.
Quick tip: 'Commuter' is often misspelled, as it is confused with 'computer'.
5. Colours
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, black, brown.
Quick tip: The spelling 'colour' with a 'u' is preferred in Canadian/British English, while 'color' without a 'u' is used in American English. Both spellings are correct.
6. Verbs
Suggest, develop, borrow, persuade, discuss, review, concentrate, believe, crash.
Quick tip: Pay attention to verb conjugation for gender and tense, as differences may lead to incorrect answers.
7. List of IELTS Listening words - Adjectives
Beautiful, necessary, fantastic, comfortable, convenient, wonderful, terrible, temporary, permanent, knowledgeable, exciting, boring, difficult, easy.
Quick tip: Take note of adjectives with double consonants (ss/mm) to avoid omitting a letter.
8. Numbers, times, and currencies
These frequently appear in Part 1 of the listening test. Recording the corresponding number or symbol is recommended to eliminate spelling mistakes.
Quick tip: Pay attention to the stressed syllable to distinguish between numbers like 30 and 13. Also, accurately copy symbols from the listening question to match the correct currency (e.g., '$' for dollars, '£' for pounds).
By familiarising yourself with these words and their meanings, you will enhance your comprehension skills and be better equipped to handle the challenges of the IELTS Listening test. Remember to practice using them in context to strengthen your overall language proficiency.
Part 2: A monologue, speech, or talk - Vocabulary for IELTS Listening
In Part 2 of the IELTS Listening test, a monologue will be presented to you, which is situated in an everyday context. It could be a speech discussing local amenities, providing a description of a recreational centre’s layout, or detailing the rooms within a specific building. Various question types will be encountered in this section, and some questions may involve the use of maps. Therefore, it would be beneficial to familiarise yourself with relevant vocabulary.
When presented with a map or diagram, a crucial tip is to label "L" and "R" on opposite sides of your test booklet to prevent confusion between left and right. Additionally, it may prove useful to draw a compass indicating the cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West) if one is not already provided. Remember that during test conditions, nervousness can cause confusion between left and right, impeding your ability to follow the description accurately.
Here are some words that you should listen for during the monologue:
1. Rooms in buildings
Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, dining room, lounge, library, gymnasium (gym), cafeteria (cafe), classroom, waiting room, reception, ticket desk, storage room, and theatre.
2. Place markers
Street, road, avenue, lane, drive, court, place, terrace, and way.
While engaging in a map-related question in Part 2, there are some direction words that you should listen for but may not need to write down. Understanding these words will facilitate your comprehension of the map.
3. Directions and prepositions of place
North, south, east, west, up, down, right, left, straight, across from, between, besides, diagonal, corner, opposite, adjacent to, near, past, before, and after.
Verbs: Turn, move, continue on, walk, cross, pass, start, finish, end, stop, and go straight ahead.
Places on a map: Tennis court, river, courtyard, laboratory, building, bridge, road, path, traffic lights, bench, seat, table, basketball court, running track, swimming pool, beach, forest, garden, and castle.
Part 3: A conversation among individuals – Vocabulary for IELTS Listening
In the third section of the IELTS Listening test, you will listen to a unique conversation involving a group of individuals, ranging from two to four participants. This dialogue typically takes place within an educational or training context, such as a university lecturer engaging in a discussion about an assignment with two students.
Having a good understanding of academic vocabulary related to learning, studying, and evaluation can greatly assist you in this part of the test.
1. Academic terminology
Presentation, project, teamwork, pairs, organisation, outline, proofreading, experiment, reference, lecture, tutor, instructor, attendance, specialist, knowledge, faculty, bachelor’s, master's, schedule, management, leadership, questionnaire, statistic, percentage, laboratory, school, university, college.
Quick tip: It's worth noting that North American speakers pronounce "laboratory" as "lab-bra-tory" with three syllables, while British English speakers pronounce it as "lab-or-a-tory" with four syllables.
2. School subjects
Mathematics (Maths), Science, English, Physical Education (PE), Art, Music, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, History
Quick tip: When students pursue a subject at school, their academic year is divided into terms or semesters, with breaks or holidays in between each term.
3. University disciplines
Commerce, Science, Psychology, Engineering, Marketing, Sociology, Medicine, History, Geography, Architecture, Law, Philosophy, Economics, Education.
Quick tip: When students study at university, their academic year is structured into semesters. They typically have exam periods at the end of each semester, followed by a break. Students can choose to study part-time or full-time and may also combine their studies with employment.
4. Examination
Assessment, test, review, pass, fail, retake, supervise, supervisor, evaluate, exam, results, degree, certificate.
Part 4: A university lecture – Vocabulary words for IELTS Listening
Part 4 of the IELTS Listening testpresents the most challenging section, yet the vocabulary used remains widely known. This part focuses on academic subjects, encompassing a variety of topics. Familiarise yourself with the following topic areas and frequently utilised vocabulary:
1. Health
Vegetarian, vegan, well-being, unhealthy, leisure, ailments, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, physical activity, treatment, obesity, overweight, fitness, physician, medical check-up, medication, vitamins, pandemic, virus, remedy, vaccination.
2. Animals and their habitats
Mammals, reptiles, primates, predators, prey, mountains, jungles, forests, islands, ponds, rivers, streams, zoos, pets, endangered species, oceans, and seas.
3. Continents and countries
North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica, Australia, Oceania, England, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland.
4. Environment
Global warming, disaster, earthquake, tornado, blizzards, hurricanes, pollution, temperature, drought, flood, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, deforestation, desertification, bushfires.
5. Government
Politics, leader, politician, senator, mayor, laws, regulations, senate, president, society, individuals, council, rules.
Quick tip: "Society" is a frequently misspelled word in the IELTS test.
6. Energy
Nuclear, oil, coal, hydroelectric power, natural gas, solar power, energy source, electricity generation, dam, windmill, wind turbine, renewable, non-renewable.
Quick tip: Pay attention to the correct spelling of "nuclear" to avoid common errors like writing it as "unclear."
7. General
Appointment, cooperation, employment, governance, exhibition, occupation, aluminum (North American)/ aluminium (British), century, decade, millennium, individual, creativity, guarantee, satellite, opportunity, license, frequently, calendar, distinct.
Quick tip: "Government" and "different" are among the most commonly misspelled words in the IELTS test. Additionally, note that "aluminum" is pronounced as "a-lu-min-num" in North American English and "al-u-min-i-um" in British English, with four and five syllables respectively.
Familiarising yourself with the essential vocabulary for the IELTS Listening test is crucial for success. By understanding and practicing the words commonly used in various topics, you can enhance your listening comprehension and effectively answer the questions. By actively engaging with and retaining these words, you will be better equipped to comprehend and respond accurately during the IELTS Listening test.
*Source: https://ielts.idp.com/
Final Tips to Master IELTS Listening Vocabulary
Practice spelling and pronunciation of new words.
Review vocabulary lists by topic daily.
Listen to English podcasts and TED Talks to hear words in context.
Take IELTS Listening practice tests to apply vocabulary in real conditions.
With regular revision and consistent exposure, you’ll notice major improvements in your IELTS Listening band score.
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