How to Improve your Vocabulary and Boost your IELTS Speaking Score

Importance of Vocabulary in IELTS

Knowing how to improve vocabulary for the IELTS exam is vital to scoring well and accomplishing study abroad aspirations. Vocabulary for IELTS  is an essential part. If your vocabulary is good, it contributes to 25% of your speaking and writing sections. Expanding your vocabulary will help you make better sentences and give you a chance to showcase your English proficiency. 

Candidates with good vocabulary can leverage several benefits, such as understanding what is being said in the listening section. Apart from this, a good vocabulary helps seamlessly read and answer questions, use synonyms, and connect ideas.

How much Vocabulary is Enough for the IELTS Exam?

Adding new words to your vocabulary and understanding their meaning can set a good base for your IELTS preparation. Therefore, it is essential that you have a rich vocabulary and correctly understand the words, their meaning, and how and where to use them because if your vocabulary changes, the sense of your sentence also changes, which would result in reduced marks. 

Here are some reasons why people lose marks in IELTS, check out the reasons below:

• Using the incorrect terms or phrases that are out of context

• Using adjectives instead of nouns

• Incorrect grammar

• Lack of synonyms

• Bad sentence structure

How to Improve Vocabulary for IELTS?

There are many advantages to improving your vocabulary. It is an excellent way to learn new words and memorise their meanings. However, memorising different words and their meaning can be a challenging task. Moreover, you only need to follow a few steps:

• Learn the word

• Learn to spell the term

• Understand the proper pronunciation of the word

• Understand the meaning of the word

 Take a look below to learn how to improve vocabulary.

1. Use a dictionary: This will help you understand the meaning of words. Keep a dictionary handy while practising, watching, or reading something to learn the word and its meaning. 

2. Learn synonyms: Every word has multiple alternative words that have similar or the same meaning but are used differently. Repetition of a word is not going to gain you anything. So, learning multiple words is one way to score better in all the sections. Also, learn to use the right word at the right place. 

3. Get an idiom dictionary: Idioms are a creative way to express yourself innovatively. However, before using any idiom, you must understand the literal meaning and how to slide it into a conversation. 

4. Listen to sample speaking tests to understand language and its use better: As you solve all the mock tests, you will understand the pattern of the test. Moreover, listening to sample speaking tests will ensure you can pick up the vocabulary and pronunciation and its use in the sentences. 

5. Learn about tools to help you with pronunciation: You can also use apps or tools to improve your pronunciation. These tools not only help you with new words but also help you understand the context in which they are used. 

6. Develop a review system: Learning new words is not enough. Make a list and review them all once a week. Now, separate the words that you have memorised well. Review them all before the test. 

7. Find an IELTS vocabulary book and a listening source:  You can always find an IELTS vocabulary book and a reliable listening system. The IELTS vocabulary book is formal, factual and based on the questions asked in the exam. Also, to make IELTS preparation more interesting, you must find some good podcasts and other informational sources. 

Do’s and Don’ts While Improving Your Vocabulary for IELTS

Enriching and expanding your vocabulary is a long-term process. It is fun, but you need to learn and use words where they fit well. Here are some do’s and don’ts for improving your vocabulary. Check out below:

Do’s

• Try to learn words that can be used in different contexts.

• Find new terms by actively reading and listening.

• Understand how to utilise the words in context.

• Keep writing down the words and practising them several times.

• Make a list of new words and phrases to review them quickly.

Don'ts

• Refrain from trying to memorise lists of words. It could be more helpful.

• Don't exaggerate sentences only to use fancy phrases. Understand the context and choose appropriate phrases.

• Refrain from getting caught up in the word and its meaning. Recognise that pronunciation and spelling are equally essential.

Conclusion

In conclusion, vocabulary plays an essential role in scoring good grades in the IELTS exam. Therefore, knowing how to improve vocabulary and innovative learning methods is vital for positive outcomes. More than learning new words, the correct use of those words in an appropriate context is required. Be tactful in your approach and show confidence. A good IELTS score ensures your admission into a good institute abroad, which will help you achieve your career goals. 

So, if you are appearing for the IELTS exam and want to plan your test strategically, we recommend you sign up for our IELTS Courses designed by our experts. Please contact Prepare IELTS Exam (PI) expert counsellors if you need further guidance. Our team of education experts is dedicated to assisting you in the best possible way for the IELTS exam. You can also get a one-on-one counselling session online via our platform. Contact us at info@prepareieltsexam.com or call us at +91 9773398388.