IELTS Academic Vocabulary: 500 Words and Collocations
Use 500 academic words and collocations accurately across all four skills.
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| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| assert (verb) | To state something confidently and clearly, often as a claim that still needs support. Common in academic writing and speaking; usually followed by a clause. Example: The author asserts that policy change is necessary to reduce inequality. |
| back up (phrasal verb) | To provide evidence for a claim or statement. Common in spoken and informal academic English. Example: The writer backs up the argument with figures from a national report. |
| judge (verb) | To form an opinion about something after considering it carefully. In formal contexts, it can mean evaluate. Example: It is difficult to judge the long-term impact of the scheme at this stage. |
| evidence-based (adjective) | Grounded in research, data, or verified information rather than guesswork. Common in formal discussion of policy and practice. Example: Schools should adopt evidence-based methods for reading instruction. |
| limited evidence | Evidence that exists but is not enough to be fully certain. Useful for cautious academic writing. Example: There is limited evidence that shorter commutes improve well-being. |
| preliminary evidence | Early evidence that is not yet final or fully tested. Useful for cautious claims. Example: Preliminary evidence points to a positive effect, but more research is needed. |
| the proportion of (collocation) | a formal phrase meaning the share of a whole. Often used with percentages and comparisons. Example: The proportion of students taking online classes increased rapidly. |
| bottom out (phrasal verb) | To reach the lowest point before levelling off or rising. Used mainly for trends and prices. Example: Unemployment bottomed out in late spring and then began to rise. |
| exceed (verb) | to be greater than a limit, amount, or another figure. Formal and precise. Example: The level of demand exceeded the supply available. |
| stem from (verb phrase) | to originate in or be caused by something. More formal and analytical. Example: Many transport problems stem from poor urban planning. |
| in the long run (phrase) | over a long period and considering future effects. Example: In the long run, public transport can reduce congestion. |
| average (noun/adjective) | the central or typical value in a set of numbers. Common in academic summaries. Example: The average commute time increased after the roadworks. |
| acquire (verb) | to gain or obtain something, often over time or through effort; formal academic use. Example: Students can acquire stronger writing habits through regular feedback. |
| automation (noun) | the use of machines or software to do tasks with little human control; formal technology/workplace term. Example: Automation may reduce repetitive office tasks. |
| urbanisation (noun) | the process of more people moving to and living in cities; formal geography term. Example: Rapid urbanisation has increased demand for housing and transport. |
| global trade (collocation) | the buying and selling of goods and services across countries; core globalization phrase. Example: Better shipping routes have increased global trade. |
| specialise in (phrasal verb) | to focus on one particular subject, skill, or type of work; common academic and professional phrase. Example: The university specialises in renewable transport research. |
| sustainable (adjective) | Able to continue without exhausting resources or causing lasting damage; often used in environmental and development contexts. Collocates with development, energy, and growth. Example: The city introduced sustainable transport plans to reduce congestion and emissions. |
| ageing population (noun) | A population with a growing proportion of older people. Common demographic collocation in society and public policy. Example: An ageing population is increasing demand for healthcare and pensions. |
| risk factor (noun) | Something that increases the chance of a problem, disease, or harmful outcome. Common in health and policy reports. Example: Smoking is a major risk factor for lung disease. |
| urban planning (noun) | The organized design and development of towns and cities. Formal collocation used in environment, transport, and society essays. Example: Good urban planning can reduce pollution and improve quality of life. |
| reoffending (noun) | The act of committing another crime after being punished or released. Formal criminal-justice noun often used with reduce and prevent. Example: Education and support can lower reoffending after prison. |
| analyse (verb) | To examine something carefully in order to understand its parts or causes. Often used with data, results, text, or trends; formal academic register. Example: Researchers analysed the survey data to identify the main factors affecting student satisfaction. |
| temporary (adjective) | Lasting for a short time only, not permanent. Often used in social and work contexts. Example: The increase in prices may be temporary rather than long term. |
| in addition | Used to add another point or piece of information. Frequent in essays and reports. Example: In addition, the library offers free workshops for job seekers. |
| health disparity (noun phrase) | a measurable difference in health outcomes or access between population groups; often discussed with social and economic factors. Example: The report found a health disparity between rural and urban communities. |
| cost-effective (adjective) | Giving good results for the money spent. Common in economics, business, and public policy. Example: Solar lighting is a cost-effective option for remote villages. |
| higher risk (noun phrase) | A greater chance that something negative will happen. Common in health, safety, and environment discussions. Example: Children living near busy roads face a higher risk of breathing problems. |
| social consensus (noun phrase) | broad agreement within a society or group; it does not require every individual to agree. Example: Building social consensus can make a long-term environmental policy more durable. |
| endanger (verb) | to put something at risk of harm; formal verb, often used with lives, species, or stability; Example: Illegal dumping can endanger river ecosystems. |
About this deck
High-scoring academic language depends on accuracy, collocation and register — not on replacing every common word with a longer one. This 500-card deck combines cross-disciplinary vocabulary with evidence language, data description, cause and effect, comparison, argument structure and the topic collocations that come up in every test cycle. Each card provides an independently written meaning, a usage or grammar note and an original example you could use in academic writing or speaking as it stands. Import it and the whole deck joins your spaced-repetition schedule. Words you already know stretch out and drop out of sight; the ones that keep slipping come back until they stop slipping. What goes down is the number of words you still don't know — not the time it takes to flip past 500 cards you mostly do.
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- Does the deck cover collocations as well as single words?
- Yes. It includes productive combinations for describing evidence, change, comparison, cause, policy and common academic topics, with grammar and register cues.
IELTS is a trademark of its respective owners. Memly is not affiliated with or endorsed by them, and this is not an official word list. Every meaning, note and example is written by Memly; no test content is copied. Scope reviewed 2026-08-16.