IELTS Academic Vocabulary Guide

Comprehensive English vocabulary flashcards covering key IELTS Academic terms, connectors, collocations, grammatical distinctions, and writing guidelines.

Scarce / Scarcity

Scarce means insufficient or in short supply (escaso); scarcity refers to a condition of shortage or lack (escasez).

Treacherous

Deceitful or treacherous; dangerously hazardous, deceptive, or difficult to navigate (traicionero, engañoso; peligroso o difícil).

Underlying

Foundational, fundamental, or existing beneath the surface (subyacente, de fondo).

Hurdle

An obstacle, barrier, or difficulty; also a track-and-field barrier (obstáculo, dificultad; valla de atletismo).

Exude

To emit, radiate, or give off a substance, feeling, or quality (desprender, emanar o irradiar una sustancia o cualidad).

Paramount

Of supreme or ultimate importance (primordial, de máxima importancia).

Premise

An initial assumption, underlying proposition, or conceptual basis of an argument (premisa, supuesto inicial; planteamiento).

Adhere to

To follow, observe, or comply strictly with a rule or guideline (cumplir o ceñirse a una regla).

Gridlock

A state of total deadlock, stall, or standstill, particularly in political matters or vehicular traffic (estancamiento o bloqueo, especialmente político; atasco de tráfico).

Sever

To cut off, divide, or permanently break a connection or relationship (cortar, romper un vínculo o relación).

Cleavage

A deep split, rift, or structural division between groups (división profunda entre grupos).

Grassroots

Originating at the community or common people level rather than from central authority (de base; surgido de la comunidad o de la gente común).

Chasm

A profound abyss or enormous divide between viewpoints or parties (abismo; brecha o división enorme).

Bridge the gap

To reduce or eliminate a major difference or division between parties (cerrar o reducir la brecha; acercar grupos o posturas).

Conversely

In an opposite manner; on the other hand (por el contrario / en contraste).

The advantages outweigh the disadvantages

A formal comparative phrase expressing that benefits exceed drawbacks (las ventajas superan a las desventajas).

Stem from

To originate in, derive from, or be caused by an underlying root (originarse en, derivarse de).

Account for

To explain the cause of an outcome, or to comprise a designated share or proportion (explicar; representar una proporción).

Offset

To counterbalance, neutralize, or compensate for an effect or cost (compensar, contrarrestar).

Yield

To produce or generate a result, crop, or profit; also to surrender or give way (producir, generar; ceder).

Novel (adjective)

New, original, or unusual (nuevo o novedoso; distinct from the noun meaning a literary book).

Bias

A systematic preference, preconception, or prejudice (sesgo).

Correlation vs. Causation

Correlation describes a reciprocal statistical relationship, whereas causation describes a direct cause-and-effect link (correlación / causalidad).

Coursework

Academic tasks, assignments, and projects completed during an educational course (trabajos y actividades de un curso).

Fortnight

A standardized temporal duration consisting of exactly two weeks (dos semanas).

Tuition fees

The mandatory institutional charges required for academic instruction (matrícula o costos de enseñanza).

Depletion

The severe exhaustion, draining, or reduction of natural or material resources (agotamiento de recursos).

Replication

The exact repetition or recreation of an experimental procedure to validate findings (repetición o reproducción de un experimento).

Notwithstanding

In spite of; despite; nevertheless (a pesar de, no obstante).

Albeit

Although; even though (aunque, si bien).

Plummet / Plunge

To fall, drop, or decrease precipitously and sharply (desplomarse, caer bruscamente).

Level off

To stabilize or flatten following a notable rise or drop (estabilizarse después de un cambio).

Respectively

In the individual order previously designated or mentioned (respectivamente).

Rise vs. Raise

Rise (rose, risen) is an intransitive verb meaning an item ascends on its own; raise (raised, raised) is a transitive verb meaning someone lifts or increases something.

Policy vs. Politics

Policy refers to an official plan, concrete guideline, or rule; politics refers to political activity or governance systems.

Dissent vs. Consent

Dissent refers to active disagreement or non-compliance; consent denotes formal authorization, agreement, or approval.

Imply vs. Infer

Imply means to state or indicate indirectly; infer means to deduce or draw a conclusion from available evidence.

Despite vs. Although

Despite is a preposition followed by a noun phrase or gerund (-ing); although is a conjunction followed by a full subject-verb clause.

Downward spiral

A continuous and accelerating cycle of deterioration (una espiral descendente o ciclo de deterioro).

Concerted effort

A jointly planned, coordinated, and collaborative endeavor (un esfuerzo conjunto y coordinado).