Common IELTS Vocabulary Mistakes: Words to Avoid for a Higher Band Score

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Exercise

In the IELTS writing and speaking tests, your score will be partially determined by your vocabulary. In fact, for each of these tests vocabulary (called “Lexical Resource” in IELTS) accounts for 25% of your total score.

There is a lot of confusion over this because of how the test is marked. For both writing and speaking tests, an examiner will refer to the band descriptors for guidance, and then assign you a score. To that end, it is a somewhat subjective assessment. However, IELTS closely monitors its examiners to ensure fairness.

The Myth of Magical Vocabulary
Words That Are Used in the Wrong Way
Words Students Often Confuse
What other words should we avoid in IELTS?
Old Words You Shouldn’t Use
Using Fancy Words Randomly
Table 1: Commonly Confused and Misused IELTS Vocabulary Words
Table 2: Overused, Informal, and Cliché Words to Avoid in IELTS
Final Thoughts

The Myth of Magical Vocabulary

Many people think that there are magical words that guarantee them a higher score in IELTS because lots of unqualified online gurus make this outrageous claim. This is simply untrue and any IELTS examiner will tell you that. The fact is that you just need to look for the right word for each situation. That’s all.

However, it is wise to avoid certain words. What are these words and why?

Words That Are Used in the Wrong Way

First of all, you must avoid words that are wrong. That sounds obvious but it is very important to understand. Here’s an example:

When I was young, I wanted to peruse a career in computer science, but later I switched to study architecture.

Can you see the mistake? Look again and read closely.

The speaker has confused the words “peruse” and “pursue”. These sound similar and indeed are spelled similarly, but they are not the same word.

The word “peruse” means to look through something, usually a book but often an aisle in a shop. Meanwhile, “pursue” means to follow, but in this case it means to go after a career.

Words Students Often Confuse

There are many words that IELTS candidates seem to misuse. Here are some common ones:

Individual – IELTS candidates are often told that this is a synonym for people. Well, that’s sort of true, but it means “an individual human”. It stresses individuality and is not a perfect synonym. If you say “Some individuals believe…” then it’s wrong, but if you said “There are benefits for society as a whole but also benefits for individuals”, then it’s right. The latter example stresses individuality, which is the purpose of the word.
Illustrate – Many IELTS students are taught to begin their Task 1 reports by saying “the line graph illustrates…” Well, does it illustrate something? Think carefully about this. To “illustrate” is to show something through visual depiction. A graph may illustrate something but a table does not. Also, it depends what the thing is that is illustrated. Does it illustrate information, a concept, or a process?
Fluctuate – This word is fine to use… but only if it’s used correctly! If something fluctuates, then it goes up and down frequently and irregularly. It does not mean a line rises and falls once or twice. Thus, this word is very commonly misused in Task 1 reports.
Plateau – Similarly, IELTS candidates tend not to understand this word. It comes from a physical geographical feature—a hill that is flat on top. When a line in a line graph rises, remains flat, and then drops, we can call it a “plateau”. However, a lot of IELTS candidates simply think it refers to a line being flat for a while.

What other words should we avoid in IELTS?

A common problem is clichés. Unfortunately, many unqualified IELTS tutors teach their students to use certain words and phrases. They pretend that these are “essential” or that they can somehow “guarantee a band 7”. This is obviously impossible.

The problem isn’t that these promises are false; rather, those words are used so often that they become an annoyance for the examiners. They have to sit and listen to or read these words being said over and over and over… It is tedious but it also shows that the IELTS candidate using the word has merely memorised something and is not using their own language.

Some common cliches include:

With the development of…
Plethora
Myriad
Ubiquitous
It cannot be denied that…

Technically, there is nothing wrong with these words when they are used correctly, but most students are so determined to cram them into their answer that it simply backfires.

Old Words You Shouldn’t Use

In addition, we have outdated words. This means words that are old-fashioned and are no longer in common usage. This is a problem because IELTS is about communication and this shows you’ve learned something that’s really not applicable today.

One good example of this is the word “demerit”. It is very common in IELTS essays, but no one really uses this term anymore. It sounds strange and shows that you do not have a grasp of contemporary English. Rather, you probably just memorised a phrase from an unqualified teacher.

Using Fancy Words Randomly

Other words to avoid are random ones plucked from the dictionary. Do not just try to fill your IELTS answers with random fancy words because they sound exotic or impressive. Instead, always strive to use the right word. Ignore the words that the so-called experts recommend and focus on giving realistic and developed answers using word that you truly understand. After all, these words should be specific to your answer, not someone else’s answer.

Table 1: Commonly Confused and Misused IELTS Vocabulary Words

Word or Phrase	Avoid in Module	Explanation
Peruse (instead of pursue)	Speaking, Writing	Incorrect meaning confusion
Individual (instead of people)	Writing	Misused to mean general people
Illustrate	Writing	Incorrectly used with tables or abstract data
Fluctuate	Writing	Misused for limited or infrequent changes
Plateau	Writing	Misused for any flat line
With the development of…	Writing	Overused cliché opening phrase
Plethora	Speaking, Writing	Overused, unnatural sounding word
Myriad	Speaking, Writing	Overused, memorised vocabulary
Ubiquitous	Speaking, Writing	Overused and misused word
It cannot be denied that…	Writing	Overused, cliché introductory phrase
Demerit	Writing	Outdated and unnatural vocabulary

Table 2: Overused, Informal, and Cliche Words to Avoid in IELTS

Word or Phrase	Avoid in Module	Explanation
Moreover	Writing	Overused linking word; often used unnaturally
Aforementioned	Writing	Unnaturally formal and outdated
On the one hand/on the other hand	Writing	Frequently misused without proper context
Like (instead of such as)	Writing	Informal; “such as” is more appropriate formally
Stuff	Speaking, Writing	Vague and informal, lacks clarity
Thing(s)	Writing	Imprecise vocabulary; overly general
Lots of / a lot of	Writing	Informal; better alternatives are “many”, “numerous”
Nowadays	Writing	Overused introductory phrase
Very	Writing	Weak intensifier; choose stronger adjectives
Kids (instead of children)	Writing	Informal and colloquial; “children” is preferred
In a nutshell	Writing	Informal idiomatic expression
Last but not least	Writing	Cliché and often misused as a connector
Literally	Speaking	Often incorrectly used to mean “figuratively”
Awesome	Speaking, Writing	Overused and informal; better vocabulary available
Actually	Speaking	Overused filler word, can weaken responses
Totally	Speaking	Informal and frequently misused as filler
Gonna, Wanna	Speaking, Writing	Highly informal; avoid completely

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there is no list of words for IELTS that you must use or must avoid, but there are definitely some words that you should be very careful about. You should strive for the right word in each situation and avoid using memorised words and phrases, particularly if you encountered these from some popular online IELTS expert. The chances are that thousands of other students will be using those same words and it will drive the examiners crazy! Instead, just use your own language and do so as accurately as possible.