This glossary explains 85 words and phrases that come up often in IELTS reading, listening, and writing tasks — the kind of vocabulary that separates a Band 6 answer from a Band 7+ one, but rarely gets a clear definition in a coursebook. Each entry gives the part of speech, a plain-English definition, and an example sentence showing how the word is actually used.
- Glossary tab: search by word or definition, or filter by part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, phrase, phrasal verb) to browse a category at a time.
- Practice tab: a matching game — click a word, then click its definition. Each round picks 8 random terms, so a new round rarely repeats the last one.
It's free to use, needs no sign-up, and nothing you do here is recorded or sent anywhere — it's purely for self-study.
📖 Glossary
Search by word or definition, or filter by part of speech.
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🃏 Matching Practice
Click a word on the left, then click its matching definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many words does the glossary cover?
- 85 terms often used in IELTS reading, listening and writing tasks, each with a part of speech, a plain-English definition and an example sentence.
- Is this glossary free? Do I need an account?
- Yes, it is completely free and needs no sign-up. Nothing you search or click is recorded or sent anywhere — it only runs in your browser.
- How does the matching game work?
- Each round picks 8 random terms from the glossary. Click a word, then click the definition you think matches it; a correct pair turns green and stays matched, a wrong pair shakes and resets so you can try again. Click "New Round" for a fresh set of 8.
- Can I filter the glossary by word type?
- Yes — the Glossary tab has chips for noun, verb, adjective, adverb, phrase and phrasal verb, plus a search box that matches against both the word and its definition.
- Is my score in the matching game saved anywhere?
- No. The score shown during a round is just for you to see how you did — it resets on the next round and is never stored or sent to anyone.