IELTS Academic Vocabulary

Flashcards for reviewing formal academic vocabulary for IELTS writing, covering topics like education, environment, technology, health, economy, and society.

Curriculum(n)

Subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college

Pedagogy(n)

Method and practice of teaching

Literacy(n)

Ability to read and write

Proficiency(n)

High degree of competence or skill

Aptitude(n)

Natural ability to do something
Ex: My son has no/little aptitude for sport.

Scholarship(n)

Financial aid awarded to a student based on academic merit

Vocational(adj)

Relating to occupation or employment

Didactic(adj)

Intended to teach or instruct, often in a moral or overly instructive manner

Syllabus(n)

Outline of the subjects in a course

Diligent(n)

Showing care and conscientiousness in work or duties

Ecosystem(n)

Biological community of interacting organisms and their environment

Biodiversity(n)

Variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat

Sustainable(adj)

Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level without depleting resources

Renewable(adj)

Able to be replenished naturally; not depleted when used

Conservation(n)

Act of preserving, guarding, or protecting; wise use

Deforestation(n)

Action of clearing a wide area of forest

Emissions(n)

Substances, especially gases, that are released into the atmosphere

Pollution(n)

Presence or introduction of harmful substances into the environment

Contaminate(v)

To make something impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance

Habitat(n)

Natural home or environment of an organism

Degrade(v)

To reduce in quality; to deteriorate

Hazardous(adj)

Dangerous or risky, often to health or safety

Endangered(adj)

At risk of extinction

Contamination(n)

Action or state of contaminating or being contaminated

Pollutant(n)

Substance that causes pollution
Ex: Factories must treat wastewater to remove harmful pollutants

Innovation(n)

New method, idea, or device

Automation

Use of machines or technology to perform tasks without human intervention

Cybersecurity

Practice of protecting systems and networks from digital attacks

Infrastructure

Fundamental facilities and systems serving an organization, such as transportation and communication systems

Encryption

Process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access

Algorithm

Set of rules for solving a problem or performing a task, often by a computer

Ubiquitous

Present, appearing, or found everywhere

Intuitive

Easy to understand or use without explicit instruction

Virtual

Existing or occurring on computers or the internet rather than in physical reality

Analytics

Systematic computational analysis of data or statistics

Connectivity

State of being connected, especially in terms of internet or network

Epidemic

Widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time

Vaccination

Act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce immunity

Nutrition

Process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth

Obesity

Condition of being grossly overweight

Sedentary

Characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise

Hygiene

Conditions or practices that promote health and prevent disease

Morbidity

Incidence of disease in a population

Rehabilitation

Process of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy

Immunization

Process by which a person is made immune to an infectious disease, typically by vaccination

Pathogen

Bacterium, virus, or microorganism that can cause disease

Inflation

General increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money

Recession

Period of temporary economic decline, usually identified by two successive quarters of falling GDP

Globalization

Process of developing international influence or starting to operate on an international scale

Subsidy

Sum of money granted by the government to help an industry or business keep prices low or compete

Tariff

Tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports

Deficit

Amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small

Surplus

Amount of something left over when requirements have been met; an excess

Productivity

Effectiveness of productive effort, often measured by output per unit of input

Entrepreneurship

Activity of setting up a business and taking on financial risks in the hope of profit

Unemployment

State of being without a job while actively seeking work

Demographic

Relating to the structure of populations

Urbanization

Process of making an area more urban, typically through population growth in cities

Multicultural

Relating to or containing several cultural or ethnic groups

Inequality

Difference in size, degree, or circumstances; lack of equality

Legislation

Laws considered collectively

Governance

Way an organization or country is governed

Polarization

Division into sharply contrasting groups or opinions

Egalitarian

Relating to the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights

Stigma

Mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person

Autonomy

Right or condition of self-government

Articulate

Express fluently and coherently

Coherent

Logically connected and consistent

Cohesive

Forming a united whole

Feasible

Possible and practical to do easily or conveniently

Viable

Capable of working successfully

Credible

Capable of being believed; convincing

Implicit

Implied though not plainly expressed

Explicit

Stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion

Framework

Basic structure underlying a system, concept, or text

Paradigm

Typical example or pattern of something; a model

Phenomenon

Fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause is in question

Discrepancy

Lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts

Comprehensive

Complete and including everything necessary

Empirical

Based on observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic

Hypothesis

Proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation

Criterion

Principle or standard by which something may be judged

Innate

Inborn; natural

Analogy

Comparison between one thing and another, typically for clarification

Ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation

Plausible

Seeming reasonable or probable

Quantify

Express or measure the quantity of something

Emphasize

Give special importance or prominence to something

Evaluate

Form an idea of the amount, number, or value of; assess

Illustrate

Explain or clarify by giving examples or comparisons

Correlation

Mutual relationship between two or more things

Causation

Relationship between cause and effect

Mitigate

Make less severe, serious, or painful

Exacerbate

Make a problem, situation, or feeling worse

Hamper

Hinder or impede the movement or progress of something

Impede

Delay or prevent by obstructing; hinder

Amplify

Increase the strength or amount of something

Diminish

Make or become less

Impose

Force (something unwelcome or unfamiliar) to be accepted or put in place

Pivotal

Of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something