Vocab for IELTS Writing 1 (Data)

Vocabulary for describing trends and data in line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, and tables. Includes quantities, movement, size and speed of change, proportions, and words for comparing data.

Increase (v)

to become greater in amount or number (generally)

Rise (v)

to go up (used for prices

Grow (v)

to become larger over time

Climb (v)

to go up slowly and steadily over time

Surge / Soar (v)

to go up suddenly

Double (v)

to become 2 times the original amount

Triple (v)

to become 3 times the original amount

Decrease (v)

to become less in amount or number (general word)

Decline (v)

to go down steadily over a long period of time

Fall (v)

to go down (used for prices

Drop (v)

to fall suddenly by a small amount

Plummet (v)

to fall very quickly and by a huge amount

Halve (v)

to become half the original amount (e.g. 200 to 100)

Dip (v)

to fall a little and then go back up (temporary fall)

Stabilise (v)

to stop changing and become steady

Plateau / Level off (v)

to stop rising or falling and stay flat

Maintain (v)

to keep something at the same level on purpose

Recover (v)

to go up again after falling

Fluctuate (v)

to go up and down repeatedly in an irregular way

Peak (v)

to reach the highest point before going down

Tenfold (adv/adj)

by 10 times the original amount

Data (n)

the numbers and facts shown in a chart or table

Value (n)

one specific number in the data

Minimum (n)

the lowest number in the data

Maximum (n)

the highest number in the data

Range (n)

the gap between the highest and lowest values

Rate (n)

how fast something changes

Trend (n)

the general direction the data is moving in

Pattern (n)

a regular or repeated way that data behaves

Fluctuation (n)

repeated up-and-down movement (noun of fluctuate)

Variation (n)

how much the values differ from each other across the data

Proportion / Share (n)

one part compared to the whole

Half (n)

exactly 50 percent of a whole (1/2)

Quarter (n)

exactly 25 percent of a whole (1/4)

Third (n)

about 33 percent of a whole (1/3)

Fifth (n)

about 20 percent of a whole (1/5)

Tenth (n)

exactly 10 percent of a whole (1/10)

Majority (n)

more than 50 percent of a group

Minority (n)

less than 50 percent of a group

Negligible / Minimal (adj)

so small it can be ignored or barely matters (size: almost nothing)

Slight (adj)

small but clearly visible in the data

Moderate (adj)

medium

Considerable (adj)

clearly large

Significant (adj)

large enough to be important

Sharp (adj)

sudden and steep

Rapid (adj)

happening very quickly

Gradual (adj)

happening slowly and smoothly

Consistent (adj)

staying similar with very little change

Period (n)

a named length of time (e.g. 2010-2015)

Duration (n)

the total time something lasts

Throughout (prep/adv)

from the start to the end of a time period

Roughly / Approximately (adv)

close to a number

Exactly (adv)

with full precision

Virtually (none / nothing / no one) (adv)

almost zero

Comparable (adj)

similar enough to be compared fairly

Comparably (adv)

in a way that is close to something else

In contrast / Conversely (adv)

introduces a fact that is different or opposite to the previous one