Lexical resource: the right word, in the right register, for the right job.
A quarter of your mark is vocabulary, and it is rarely about knowing more words. It is about reaching for the precise one, pitched at the right level of formality, that does the exact job the sentence needs. This bank is built to be sliced four ways, so you can find the phrase you want and see the band it sits at and the everyday word it replaces.
How to use this. Pick a function (what you are trying to do, compare, concede, describe a trend) or a topic, then narrow by band or register if you want. Each entry shows the phrase, the band it typically signals, whether it is informal, neutral or formal, and a model sentence. The aim is not to memorise a list; it is to notice the upgrade, the move from a flat everyday word to the precise academic one, and start making it yourself.
Slice the vocabulary four ways.
Filter by function, topic, band or register, or type a word to search. Nothing is stored; the filtering happens in your browser.
Showing all phrases
The same idea, climbing the band scale.
Lexical resource is most visible when one plain sentence is re-lexicalised upwards. Watch the verbs and noun phrases sharpen, the register lift, and the meaning grow more precise, without the content changing.
At Band 5
“Many people go to city for find work, and this make big problem like pollution and no enough house.” The meaning comes through, but the vocabulary is very general and there are errors (go to city, this make, no enough house); the register is spoken, not academic.
At Band 6
“A lot of people are moving to cities to find work, and this is causing big problems like pollution and not enough houses.” Clear, but the vocabulary is general (a lot of, big problems, not enough houses) and the register is conversational.
At Band 7
“Large numbers of people are migrating to urban areas in search of employment, which is contributing to problems such as air pollution and a shortage of affordable housing.” The same idea, now with precise collocations (migrating to urban areas, in search of employment, a shortage of affordable housing) and a neutral-to-formal register.
At Band 8+
“Rapid rural-to-urban migration, driven largely by the search for employment, has placed acute strain on cities, manifesting in worsening air quality and an acute housing shortage.” Now nominalised and dense (rural-to-urban migration, placed acute strain on, manifesting in), with precise, low-frequency word choice throughout.
The trap. Do not lift the register higher than the task wants. In Speaking Part 1, “I am rather fond of cinematic experiences” is worse than “I really like films”, it is stilted, not impressive. Precision is the goal, not formality for its own sake. For the full register ladder and the cohesive-device chart by function, work through vocabulary & cohesion →
The upgrades worth making first.
If you replace nothing else, replace these. The left column is what most Band 6 writing reaches for; the right is the precise version that does the same job.
| Instead of… | Reach for… | For example |
|---|---|---|
| a lot of / lots of | a significant proportion of, numerous | A significant proportion of graduates work abroad. |
| big problem | a pressing issue, a major challenge | Congestion is a pressing issue in most cities. |
| good / bad | beneficial / detrimental | Excessive screen time can be detrimental to sleep. |
| get worse | deteriorate, worsen | Air quality has deteriorated sharply. |
| because of this | consequently, as a result | Demand fell; consequently, prices dropped. |
| more and more | an increasing number of, a growing | A growing number of firms allow remote work. |
| show | demonstrate, indicate, illustrate | The data indicate a steady upward trend. |
| very important | crucial, vital, paramount | Early intervention is crucial. |
Eight to drill.
Choose the option that is more precise, or pitched at the right register. Press Check answers for your score and the reason. Nothing is sent anywhere.
A bank gives you the words. Reaching for the right one, mid-sentence, is the skill.
The gap between a Band 6 and a Band 7 vocabulary is rarely the size of someone’s word list; it is whether the precise word arrives when the sentence needs it, and at the right register. That is a habit, built by being corrected on the exact word you reached for.
In a lesson I read your writing and listen for the everyday word where a precise one belongs, and the over-formal word where a plain one would sound better, and we replace them until the upgrade is automatic. Lessons are £20 for fifty minutes, one to one, in proper British English; the first step is a free 25-minute introduction. This page is adapted from the vocabulary chapters of the forthcoming Ultimate Guide to IELTS Speaking.