Free Online Vocabulary Test
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Vocabulary Study Online by Level
Vocabulary Study Online
Vocabulary Study Online By Level (VSOBL) is a Fast, Reliable, and Handy tool to prepare English exam vocabulary. (Available for all VIP accounts: US$2/Month). It has built-in word lists: 6000 IELTS words, 6000 TOEFL words, 5000 GRE words, and 3000 SAT words. You can load them by level with one click.
 Contents and Actions
 New IELTS VocabularyMore Words  
enigmatic   Speak
a. difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious
order   Speak
n. a society of monks, priests, nuns, etc., living according to certain religious and social regulations
suppress   Speak
v. forcibly put an end to
intriguing   Speak
a. arousing one's curiosity or interest; fascinating
enigma   Speak
n. a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand
fiddly   Speak
a. complicated or detailed and awkward to do or use
beforehand   Speak
ad. before an action or event; in advance
cobble   Speak
v. roughly put together something from available parts or elements
backstreet   Speak
n. a minor street remote from a main road
burnout   Speak
n. a physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress
 4000 IELTS Academic Words
1   Overview:
IELTS academic test is widely accepted in English countries. Its score is one of the keys to university or college admission. This 4000 IELTS vocabulary is to help you own a strong words list in the IELTS academic test.

In all English tests, vocabulary level is an essential factor in evaluating language ability; IELTS has no exception. All test sections rely on strong vocabulary to succeed. However, IELTS academic word list isn't a fixed or constant word set. If you search on the Internet, you can see many vocabularies called IELTS academic vocabularies.

So the first step is to choose an IELTS vocabulary for your circumstance: Does this 4000 IELTS Vocabulary Words meet your case? We divide the words into 3 levels; each level consists of 4 groups. If you are interested in the words of all groups (1-12), watch them here.



If you think it matches your case, you can start to work on it. It's long but deserves to spend time. Besides, we remind you this list is based on IELTS general vocabulary. As academic test-takers, IELTS general vocabulary is the foundation, which you shouldn't ignore.

Last but not least, you should know that building vocabulary takes lots of time, and its result plays a crucial factor in the final score. We hope this word list can assist you in building IELTS academic vocabulary. If you cannot set your goal or doubt your plan, go to the IELTS Official Website, which will help you make a right decision.

2   Alternative Solutions:
If you doubt whether this 4000 IELTS Academic Vocabulary is the right option, this section gives you some alternative methods and vocabularies.

Alternative Methods
Study a word list isn't a unique way to enrich IELTS vocabulary, and this 4000 vocabulary isn't the only list either. If you have half or one year to prepare, there are some other options to accumulate IELTS vocabulary. 20 Ways to Build IELTS Vocabulary introduces some proven ways.

You may learn new words in TV, news, ads, and daily readings that IELTS exam materials likely come from. Every word has own frequency in specified circumstance. IELTS test has own convention to select materials too, for example, many recent academic reading objects are originated from Economist or BBC.

Alternative Vocabularies - Writing and Speaking
However, if your time frame is very tight, or this 4000 vocabulary is relatively tough, you have to get a more flexible and practical substitute to work. Pick up a dictionary by random to prepare IELTS test isn't a good idea. Your effort and reward both depend on your current level.

For those who want to sharpen IELTS writing vocabulary, this 4000 words list seems large. Instead, IELTS Writing Task Vocabulary collects a short but hard writing vocabulary.

If speaking test is your shortage, enhance speaking vocabulary from 100 IELTS Speaking Words will strengthen your confidence to face examiners.

Alternative Vocabularies - Other Wordlists
Students with separate levels or situations may choose differently. Some like a shortlist because time matters; others prefer to learn difficult and large vocabulary in order to pursue a high score. We do know this 4000 IELTS vocabulary cannot cover all test takers' cases, for those who are looking for lighter or smaller lists, 10 Popular IELTS Vocabularies may give some clues.

Two of them possibly you are interested.

If your schedule is very tight, or you just need a passed score, suggest to view 500 IELTS Vocabulary, a short but proven academic vocabulary for students who are in English countries.

The 6000 IELTS Vocabulary Words actually consists of 2000+ words that are not in the 4000 IELTS Academic Words, low frequency but useful, an excellent supplement after your finishing the first 4000 words.

3   Words' EBook, PDF, and Cards:
IELTS Vocabulary EBook
We have published ebook that exactly matches the 4000/6000 IELTS Academic Words. Students can buy from main ebook distributors.

Apple iBookKoboBarnes & NobleAmazon Kindle


IELTS Vocabulary PDF List
Some students like using PDF lists to learn and review words. We do offer a handy feature to make a PDF word list of each group. Below are demos of Level 1's first group, including 9 non-English explanations.If you have a VIP account, you can print all groups' word list from the website; the details are in:

IELTS Vocabulary Cards
Cards are useful tools for some students to study new words. We offer two buttons to make one-side and two-side flashcards for each group. Below are one-side cards for Level 1's first group, including 9 non-English explanations.If you have a VIP account, you can print all groups' cards, either one-side or two-side, from the website; the details are in:

DIY - PDF of IELTS vocabulary
May I DIY PDF file of the 4000 IELTS words? Yes, you can run Print Vocabulary in PDF directly. This app can load all vocabularies of this website, please select '4000 IELTS Academic Words', filter and edit words, and create PDF by browsers. It's a free and handy tool to make your IELTS vocabulary PDF file.

If you need more flexible solutions, please go to Download IELTS Vocabulary PDF. In addition to print the whole group, it tells you how to leverage other free Internet PDF tools to produce a PDF file based on this IELTS vocabulary in a few minutes.

4   Manage Word Status:
To speed up your studying, you can manage words by marking them as New, Known, and Review status. There are two ways: Note page or Panel page to manage words' statuses. You can also save statuses to the cloud and sync back if your device has trouble or want to switch to other devices.

Word status works for all vocabularies on the website, including 4000 IELTS Academic Words. It is a handy flag to skip known words and focus on new and half-familiar words.

By Note
Manage IELTS Word by Note


By Panel
Manage IELTS Word by Panel


5   View all words by groups:        
Go to Word List by Group:
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12 

Select Vocabulary Group:
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12 

Words of Group 1: (Part of words, select list to view all.)
abandon
abort
abortion
absurd
abuse
academic
academy
access
account
accountant
accurate
accuse
accused
acid
acknowledge
address
adjust
administration
adopt
adore
adult
affect
affection
afford
agency
agenda
aggressive
agreement
aid
air
aisle
alarm
album
alien
alliance
ally
...
6   Demonstrate word list style:
attack   Pronounce
n. offensive move; expression of strong criticism; hostile comment
A national newspaper received an anonymous phone call warning about the attack just minutes before the first device exploded.
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attend   Pronounce
v. be present at; go to; take care of; tend
Britain's House of Lords has been described as the best club in London, and for many of the hereditary members who rarely attend debates, that's just what it is.
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attorney   Pronounce
n. lawyer; one who is appointed by another to act in his place or stead; proxy
Did this attorney mean to throw away his client's life without an effort?
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auction   Pronounce
n. public sale of property to the highest bidder
The auction is over, and the winning bid was 1000 dollars.
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authority   Pronounce
n. jurisdiction; power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge; government
The laws will reinforce Australia's authority to turn boats away from Australia.
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avoid   Pronounce
v. shield away from; prevent
If you are the press secretary to the President of the United States, the main thing to avoid is becoming the story yourself.
Show examples and contexts   Close

This is 6 words quick view. View words of the list
7   Word meaning matching - Test words you know:
boom  Speak
Exercise
invariable; repeating; continually occurring; persistent
Exercise
a vigorous blow; a conspicuous success
Exercise
bonanza; prosperity; prosper; expand; flourish
Exercise
activity or gift that benefits the public at large
border  Speak
Exercise
appealing; pleasing; inviting; tempting
Exercise
causing fear, dread, or terror; extremely bad or unpleasant; terrible
Exercise
outer part or edge of anything, as of a garment, a garden; margin; verge; brink; boundary
Exercise
light wine, of several kinds, originally made in the province of Champagne, in France
briefcase  Speak
Exercise
light wine, of several kinds, originally made in the province of Champagne, in France
Exercise
cell; compartment; room
Exercise
bonanza; prosperity; prosper; expand; flourish
Exercise
portable, often flat case with a handle, used for carrying papers or books
bush  Speak
Exercise
activity or gift that benefits the public at large
Exercise
outer part or edge of anything, as of a garment, a garden; margin; verge; brink; boundary
Exercise
law determining the fundamental political principles of a government; the act of forming something
Exercise
place abounding in trees or shrubs; the wild forest
catch  Speak
Exercise
cell; compartment; room
Exercise
basic, center,  or most important part; the essence
Exercise
narrative or record of events; the reason given for a particular action or event
Exercise
capture or seize, especially after a chase; take by or as if by trapping; reach just in time
chamber  Speak
Exercise
activity or gift that benefits the public at large
Exercise
narrative or record of events; the reason given for a particular action or event
Exercise
outer part or edge of anything, as of a garment, a garden; margin; verge; brink; boundary
Exercise
cell; compartment; room
This is 6 words matching. Try matching quizzes of the list
8   Interactive spelling - Check your spelling skill online:
Read [Esc]
n. one who has attained maturity or legal age; fully grown


Spelling Word: adult
Read [Esc]
n. any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger


Spelling Word: alarm
Read [Esc]
n. act of putting a person into a non-elective position; arrangement


Spelling Word: appointment
Read [Esc]
ad. on, or to, one side; out of a straight line, course, or direction; at a little distance from the rest


Spelling Word: aside
Read [Esc]
n. a violent attack; an onslaught


Spelling Word: assault
Read [Esc]
n. unmarried men; the first or lowest academic degree conferred by universities and colleges


Spelling Word: bachelor
This is 6 words spelling. Try spelling exercises of the list