IELTS vocabulary practice: learn words you can use
GetYour9 vocabulary practice combines a level-and-topic word bank, a personal My Words collection, and scheduled reviews. Practise recognising meanings and recalling words, then use the vocabulary in a sentence of your own.
By the GetYour9 team · Updated
Explore, save, and revisit useful words
Browse the available vocabulary by level, topic, and unit. Learn cards show definitions and examples where supplied. Save useful words to My Words, including words you encounter while reading or using Library resources.
Your review queue brings saved words back when they are due. The catalog can change, so choose from the units available in your account rather than relying on a promised word count.
Practise recognition and production
Recognition review asks you to recall a word’s meaning. Production review asks you to type the word from its definition. Mixed review alternates those tasks. Use honest self-grading after checking the answer.
Recognising a definition is only one step. Write or say a sentence that preserves the meaning, then check whether you would naturally use the word in that context.
Original exercise: “Reliable” means something can be depended on. Which sentence uses that meaning: “The bus service is reliable because it usually arrives when scheduled” or “The bus service is reliable because its seats are blue”?
Show explanation
The first sentence connects reliability to dependable arrival times. Seat colour does not establish reliability. Next, make your own sentence about a person, service, or source you depend on.
Learn a useful combination, not a decorative replacement
Keep an example with the word so you remember the context. For “reliable”, useful combinations include a reliable service, a reliable source, or a reliable colleague.
A longer word is not automatically better for an IELTS answer. Choose vocabulary that expresses your intended meaning and fits the sentence. Use review to make that choice easier to recall.
First attempt
This website has very good facts.
One possible revision
This website provides reliable information about local bus routes.
The revision identifies what the information is about and why the writer values it. “Reliable” is useful only if the writer means dependable; it is not a universal substitute for “good”.
Connect review to Reading and Writing
After a Reading session, save a small number of words that affected your understanding. Review their meanings later, then use one in a new Writing sentence or spoken response.
Scheduled reviews support a practice routine. They do not certify that you can use every saved word accurately or guarantee a higher IELTS band.
Common questions
Do I need an account to practise?
This guide is public. The practice workspace requires an account, and practice allowances depend on your plan. Check the Pricing page and the allowance shown in your account before starting.
Where do my saved words go?
My Words collects saved vocabulary and shows which words are due for review. You can search the collection and choose recognition, production, or mixed review.
Will memorising rare words improve my band?
A word helps when you can use it accurately and appropriately. Practise meaning and context rather than adding rare words to every answer.
References and corrections
- IELTS: scoring in detail — Official assessment information, separate from GetYour9 practice estimates.
Original teaching examples are illustrative. GetYour9 is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IELTS test owners. Report a content issue or read our Privacy Policy.
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