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IELTS Academic English

IELTS Academic Core

High-utility words for reading passages, lectures, and evidence-based academic answers.

Independent IELTS study resource — not official exam material.

  • Teens and up
  • Academic English
  • Confident · B2
  • 30 words

The words

Every word in this set, with what it means. Tap a word to hear it.

analyse
to examine something carefully by separating it into parts
“The essay asks students to analyse the main causes of the change.”
approach
a way of dealing with a task or problem
“The researchers tried a different approach to the survey.”
assess
to judge the quality, amount, or importance of something
“Teachers assess writing for clarity as well as accuracy.”
benefit
a helpful result or advantage
“One benefit of public transport is lower travel cost.”
concept
an idea used to explain or organise something
“The lecture introduced the concept of sustainable growth.”
data
facts or measurements collected for study
“The chart presents data from three different cities.”
decline
to become smaller, weaker, or less common
“Demand began to decline after the new service opened.”
establish
to show or prove something clearly; to create something firmly
“The study establishes a link between sleep and memory.”
factor
one of the facts or conditions that affect a result
“Cost is an important factor in the final decision.”
impact
a strong effect on a person, place, or situation
“The new policy had a clear impact on traffic.”
indicate
to show that something is true or likely
“The figures indicate a gradual rise in attendance.”
method
a particular way of doing something
“The method used in the experiment is explained below.”
period
a length of time
“Sales increased during the holiday period.”
process
a series of actions that lead to a result
“The diagram shows the process of recycling glass.”
range
a set of different things of the same general type
“The course covers a wide range of academic topics.”
require
to need something for a particular purpose
“The task requires students to compare two sources.”
significant
large or important enough to notice
“There was a significant difference between the two groups.”
source
a place, person, or document that provides information
“Always name the source of any figure you use.”
trend
a general direction in which something is changing
“The trend toward remote work continued after the pilot.”
vary
to change or be different in size, amount, or form
“Results vary depending on the age of the participants.”
assume
to accept something as true without proof
“Do not assume that a larger number is always better.”
category
a group of things that share similar features
“The survey answers fall into three main categories.”
contrast
a clear difference between two things
“The contrast between the two cities is clearest in housing costs.”
distribute
to give or share something among several people or places
“The charity distributes food to families each week.”
evidence
facts or information that support an idea
“The claim is stronger when it is supported by evidence.”
feature
an important or noticeable part of something
“One feature of the design is the large window.”
focus
to give special attention to a particular subject
“The second paragraph focuses on transport.”
occur
to happen, especially at a particular time
“The largest change occurred after the new system launched.”
proportion
a part of a whole compared with the whole
“A large proportion of residents travel by bus.”
summary
a short statement of the main points
“Write a short summary of the chart before giving your opinion.”