In this article, we look at a list of nouns for the IELTS Exam.
The AWL (academic word list) is a word list to improve your Academic (and General Training) IELTS vocabulary for the IELTS test.
This list features academic words that you may see or hear in the reading and/or listening sections of the IELTS tests. Becoming familiar with these and similar words will also help you with the writing and speaking portions of the IELTS tests.
And an important thing to do whenever you learn a new word from the academic word list or elsewhere is to learn which words it collocates with.
And the number one rule with vocabulary – only use words in the IELTS writing test (or speaking test) that you are confident you know how to use! A few errors in word form are ok in the IELTS test if you are not looking for a top score as you will be given some credit for using less common words.
However, you may find you actually lower your IELTS band score if you try to use lots of clever vocabulary but you are not using it properly or making lots of word form errors!
This will only confuse the IELTS examiner when they read your work. Try to keep improving your IELTS vocabulary, but when it comes to the IELTS test, stick with what you know and are confident with!
You can get a pdf version here.
Academic Word List Exercises
Learn 500+ Essential Words for IELTS
These exercises on the academic word list are designed to improve your knowledge of vocabulary for the IELTS test.
Start Learning the Words in lists
The AWL consists of 500+ word families, and these words are the most common words to be found in academic texts.
This is why they are so useful to learn if you are studying for tests like IELTS where your level of vocabulary can affect your score.
List 1 contains the most common words that are in the Academic Word List, List 2 contains the next most common, and so on.
The words shown in the lists are just the headwords. If you download a full academic word list, you can see that there are many variations of each word according to whether you are using it as a noun, verb, adjective etc.
Before you start learning them it is important to understand that recognizing the words and actually using them are two very different skills, the first one being much easier than the second.
Let’s look at an example using the first word on the academic word list, set 1, Analysis
- analysed
- analyser
- analysers
- analyses
- analysing
- analyst
- analysts
- analytic
- analytical
- analytically
- analyse
- analysed
- analyses
- analysing
If you learn the word analyse and its meaning and are aware of the other word forms, then you may well understand the meaning of the word when you read it, whichever form it is in.
However, knowing which one to use when you are writing is a much more difficult skill and will take a lot more practice and time to master!
These academic word list exercises will help you to get to know the words, but you will need to work on your own as well. No website will be a substitute for actually practicing the words when you are writing and checking your usage.
Start with list 1, and then move on to list 2, list 3 and so on.
Noun List 1
analyse
approach
area
assess
assume
authority
available
benefit
concept
consist
constitutional
context
contract
create
data
definition
derived
distribution
economic
environment
established
estimate
evidence
export
factors
financial
formula
function
identified
income
indicate
individual
interpretation
involved
issues
labour
legal
legislation
major
method
occur
percent
period
policy
principle
procedure
process
required
research
response
role
section
sector
significant
similar
source
specific
structure
theory
variable
Academic word list – some useful definitions
Try to use as many of these words as you can in your IELTS test. They will be useful for both IELTS writing and IELTS speaking, and of course, you will read and hear many of them in your IELTS listening test as well as the IELTS reading test.
access verb to be able to enter, reach, approach, etc. something “He couldn’t access his email account because someone had changed his password.”
access noun the ability or right to enter, reach, approach, etc. something “I don’t have access to those files.”
accurate adjective precise or exact; free from error (opposite = inaccurate) “The victim was unable to provide an accurate description of the criminal.”
achieve verb to accomplish; to reach a certain standard “As a result of her hard work, she achieved an excellent score on her final.”
acquire verb to get or come into possession of something; to accumulate or collect “Over 20 years of collecting stamps, I’ve acquired over 4,000 of them!”
analyse verb to look at something closely; to examine in detail “After analysing the DNA sample, the police were able to identify the killer.”
aspect noun a part or an element of something “Flexibility is just one aspect of being a successful gymnast.”
assist verb to help or aid someone (noun = assistance) “They were assisted by an outside company when designing the program.”
available adjective free to help; present or in stock (in regards to inventory)“We do not have enough resources available to complete the project.”
aware adjective having knowledge of something; being conscious or cognizant of something “I wasn’t aware of the problem. Thank you for informing me.”
benefit (from) verb to receive an advantage or make an improvement“Society has greatly benefited from technological advancements.”
benign adjective gentle or kind; favorable; passive or inactive“ The military cannot afford to be benign in this war.”
comment (on) verb to make a statement about something“First, I would like to comment on the current environmental situation”
compensate (for) verb to give an equivalent or a return for something else“If the government expects citizens to do this, they must compensate their citizens fairly.”
component noun a part or element of something (see also: aspect)“To understand the whole problem, you must look at all of its separate components.”
concentrate (on) verb to focus your attention on something “In order to move forward, we must concentrate on finding realistic solutions to the problem.”
consequence noun a result or effect of something “He was executed as a consequence for his heinous actions.”
consist (of) verb to be made of something; to be composed of something “A healthy relationship must consist of trust and mutual respect.”
constant adjective regular and seemingly permanent (adverb = constantly)“It is difficult to deal with constant disagreement when working in a group.”
construct verb to develop or build; to make “Numerous condos are currently being constructed in the downtown core.”
contribute verb to give to a common cause, supply, or fund “I contributed over $300 to charity last year.”
convert (into)verb to change or transform into “That building was recently converted into a restaurant.”
demonstrate verb to provide a demonstration or to show how something functions “This satellite will demonstrate the technological power of our organization”
distinct adjective clear and having easily identifiable or specific characteristics “Dark chocolate is known for its distinct smell and taste.”
emphasise verb to place emphasis or special focus on something “The media constantly emphasises the dangers of illegal drugs.”
extract verb to get or obtain something from something else “Physical torture is not an effective means of extracting information from a human being.”
flexible adjective not rigid; able to be shaped (opposite = inflexible)“Employers need to be flexible to the needs of their employees.”
function noun the working purpose of something; ability “Cell phones are useful because they can serve multiple useful functions.”
identical adjectivethe same or alike in appearance and/or character “The problem I have with suburban neighbourhoods is that all the houses look identical.”
legislation noun the act or process of making laws; the laws which have been made “The current health legislation will be difficult for all political parties to accept.”
location noun the place of something “London is a popular location for international banks.”
minimise verb to reduce as much as possible “In any war, one of the primary objectives should be to minimise civilian casualties.”
monitor verb to watch and give attention “Companies have numerous ways to monitor employee behaviour.”
obtain verb to get or receive “In order to obtain respect, a person has to earn it.”
precise adjective exact or definite “It is important for a teacher to give precise instructions.”
predictable adjective able to be predicted (opposite = unpredictable)“The goal of science is to find predictable results.”
prohibited adjective, verb not allowed; forbidden“These days, smoking is prohibited in many public places.”
respond verb to reply “When faced with a bully, it is important not to respond with anger.”
retain verb to remember; to continue to use “The most difficult part of learning is retaining the information”
role noun a position or customary function “The role of a parent is to provide safety for his/her child.”
sector noun a part or subdivision “It is the government’s job to protect all sectors of society.”
secure adjective safe; protected from harm (opposite = insecure)“Everyone wants to live in a secure neighbourhood.”
select verb to choose“We selected the best candidate for the job.”
significant adjective important; of consequence (opposite = insignificant)“Man landing on the moon was a significant achievement for science.”
source noun any place, person, or thing from which something else comes or originates “We can’t seem to locate the source of the problem.”
status noun someone’s position in relation to other people; the state or condition “His status as the top player in the game is unquestionable.”
structure noun the organization or arrangement of something “The structure of the education system needs to change.”
substitute noun, verb a replacement for someone/something “If you want to succeed, there is no substitute for hard work.”
symbolise verb to represent or be a symbol for something“In most cultures, it is understood that the dove symbolises peace.”
task noun a job or duty to be performed “Raising a family is not an easy task.”
technique noun a specific way of doing something; a certain skill “Most people don’t know that cooking requires hundreds of difficult techniques.”
topical adjective pertaining to current or local events or interests “Global warming has been extremely topical in the first half of the 21st century.”
transform verb to change into a different form“The internet has transformed the way we communicate.”
trend noun a style that is currently popular; the general course of something“Fashion trends are always changing.”
vary verb to be different; to alternate; to change or alter; to diversify“To write a good essay, you need to vary your vocabulary.”
veritable adjective being truly or very much so“I felt a veritable pain in my abdomen”
visible adjective able to be seen (opposite = invisible)“There has been a visible shift in public opinion towards the government.”
wane verb to decrease in strength, intensity, etc.“My interest in the movie waned the longer we watched it.”
