Vocabulary: the words the examiner rewards.
Lexical resource is not a test of how many words you know. It rewards the right word, the natural collocation, and the register that fits the task. Everything here is built to move that mark, not to hand you a longer list to memorise.
Most candidates who plateau at Band 6.5 do not lack words. They reuse plain ones, miss the natural collocation, and reach for the same three linkers. Band 7 is collocation and flexibility; Band 8 is precision. Start with the tool, then build range by topic.
The tool
Word upgrader
Type a common word like good, big or increase and see stronger alternatives laddered by band, with the collocations and an example so you use them accurately.
Open →Topic vocabulary banks
Crime & law
Crime, policing and justice, band by band, with an informal-to-academic upgrade table and ten drills.
Open →Education
Schools, higher education and learning: the collocations and academic phrasing that lift education essays.
Open →Environment
Climate, pollution and conservation: precise environmental vocabulary with the upgrade table and drills.
Open →Health
Public health, diet and healthcare: the vocabulary examiners reward, laddered from Band 6 to Band 8.
Open →Media & advertising
News, social media and advertising: topic vocabulary with an informal-to-academic upgrade table and ten drills.
Open →Technology
Innovation, automation and the internet: technology vocabulary band by band, with drills.
Open →Work & careers
Employment, the workplace and careers: the collocations and register that work essays need.
Open →Globalisation
Trade, culture, migration and the global economy: the collocations a frequent Task 2 topic rewards, band by band.
Open →Tourism & travel
The industry, overtourism and sustainable travel: topic vocabulary with an upgrade table and ten drills.
Open →Government & society
Public spending, services, policy and social goals: the precise verbs of government, laddered by band.
Open →Culture & tradition
Heritage, identity, cultural exchange and change: the collocations a frequent Speaking and Task 2 topic rewards.
Open →Family & children
Family structure, upbringing and childhood: the precise terms for how children are raised, band by band.
Open →The economy & money
Growth, inflation, the cost of living and inequality: the financial nouns Task 2 rewards, with an upgrade table.
Open →Transport
Congestion, public transport, congestion charging and sustainable travel: the words a frequent Task 2 topic rewards.
Open →Housing & urban life
Affordable housing, urbanisation, overcrowding and the city-versus-countryside trade-off, band by band.
Open →Science & research
Research, evidence, funding, benefit and ethics: the language of science, with an upgrade table and ten drills.
Open →Method & reference
Vocabulary & cohesion
Why lexical resource is rarely about knowing more words: collocation, register, and the same idea climbing the bands.
Open →Lexical resource
What the criterion actually measures, and how to show range without reaching for rare words you cannot control.
Open →Task 1 language
The language of describing data: trends, comparisons and the verbs of change that Writing Task 1 rewards.
Open →Words letting you down in writing or speaking? In a lesson we look at your own work and fix the word choices quietly holding your band down. Book a lesson →