IELTS Writing Lexical Resource: Vocabulary Band by Band

Lexical Resource is about your vocabulary: how wide your range is, how precisely and naturally you use words, and how accurately you spell and form them. It is one quarter of each task's score.

The band table below is our paraphrase of the official descriptors, not the official wording. For the exact text, see the official Writing band descriptors (PDF).

What examiners look at

• Range: do you have enough words to express ideas precisely, without repeating yourself?
• Less common vocabulary: can you use topic-specific and less common words where they fit?
• Collocation: do words go together naturally (heavy traffic, make progress, pose a risk)?
• Register: is the vocabulary suited to the task, formal or informal?
• Accuracy: spelling, word formation (economic vs economical) and correct word choice.

Band by band

Band	What it looks like
9	A full range of vocabulary used with natural, sophisticated control. Errors are extremely rare and only slips.
8	A wide range used fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings. Less common and idiomatic words are used skilfully, with only occasional slips in word choice, spelling or word form.
7	Enough range for some flexibility and precision. Some less common words appear, with awareness of style and collocation, though there may be occasional errors in word choice, spelling or word formation.
6	An adequate range for the task. Some less common words are attempted, with some inaccuracy. There are spelling or word-form errors, but they do not stop the reader understanding.
5	A limited range, just about adequate for the task, with noticeable repetition. Spelling and word-form errors are noticeable and may cause the reader some difficulty.
4	Only basic vocabulary, used repetitively or inappropriately. Memorised phrases may appear. Errors in word form and spelling can strain the reader.
3	A very limited range with little control of word form and spelling; errors may seriously distort meaning.
2	Only isolated words or memorised phrases are used, with almost no control.
1	Only a few isolated words, or the response is 20 words or fewer.

Band 0 is given if you do not attend or attempt the task, write entirely in another language, or there is proof the answer was fully memorised.

Features that cap your score

• Memorised or formulaic phrases are treated as a Band 4 feature: they show you can repeat a chunk, not that you can use vocabulary flexibly.
• Words copied from the question are not counted towards your range.
• Noticeable repetition of the same key words keeps the score around Band 5.
• Errors that make the reader struggle (rather than slips) hold you below Band 6.

How to move up a band

• From 5 to 6: stop repeating the topic word. Prepare two or three accurate synonyms or paraphrases for common topics (cars: private vehicles, driving, road traffic).
• From 6 to 7: learn collocations, not single words. Have a big effect becomes have a significant impact.
• From 7 to 8: aim for precision. Choose the word that says exactly what you mean (decline for a gradual fall, plummet for a sudden one) and keep register consistent.
• Always: proofread for spelling. There is no spellchecker in the test.

Common mistakes

Before (repetition, wrong collocation, informal register):

Many people think pollution is a big problem. Pollution makes a lot of damage to people's health and pollution is getting worse and worse.

After:

Air pollution is widely regarded as a serious problem. It causes considerable harm to public health, and in many large cities it is steadily worsening.

The "after" version replaces the repeated noun with it, fixes the collocation (cause harm, not make damage), and swaps informal phrases (a big problem, worse and worse) for ones suited to an essay.

Related guides

• IELTS Writing: complete guide
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Speaking: Lexical Resource

Sources

• IELTS, Writing band descriptors (PDF)
• IELTS, Scoring in detail