Common Words in IELTS Listening 

 

Days of the week 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 

weekdays, weekend 

Months of the year 

January, February, March, April, May, June, July August, September, 

October, November, December 

Hobbies 

gardening, stamp collection, orienteering, caving, spelunking, scuba 

diving, snorkelling, skateboarding, bowls, archery, ice skating, darts, golf, 

billiards, photography, painting, embroidery, climbing, chess, parachute, 

pottery, woodcarving. 

Subjects 

science, politics, architecture, law, geography, history, 

biology, archaeology, literature, statistics, mathematics, performing arts, 

visual arts, logic, physics, psychology, anthropology, economics, 

philosophy, chemistry, humanities, business management, agriculture. 

Marketing 

catalogue, interview, research method, entertainment industry, TV 

program, strategies, leadership, management, customer, special offer, 

collecting data, display, products, questionnaire, survey, mass media, poll, 

business card, training, trainee, statistic, profit margin, newsletter, 

competition, merchandise, manufacture, recruitment. 

Studying at college/university 

course outline, group discussion, handout, research, Proofreading, 

experiment, written work, report writing, experience, reference, 

textbook, student advisor, teamwork, module, topic, dictionary, laptop, 

printer, assessment, library, department, computer centre, classroom, 

attendance, deadline, give a talk, speech, lecture, tutor, main hall, 

computer laboratory, certificate, diploma, placement test, facilities, 

college, dining room, specialist, knowledge, international, 

accommodation, overseas students, full-time, homestay, primary, 

secondary, intermediate, media room, commencement, dissertation, 

leaflet,  school reunion,  feedback, tasks, outcomes, advanced, 

introductory, extra background, resources room, staff,  higher education, 

guidelines, post-secondary, faculty, pupils, pencil, supervisor, bachelor’s 

degree, compound, foreign students, schedule, vocabulary, student 

support services, student retention, publication,  registrar’s office, 

stationery. 

Works and jobs 

designer, occupation, profession, decorator, architect, engineer, waiter, 

teacher, vacancy, professor, specialist, manager, waitress, psychologist، 

volunteer, craftsman, work experience, curriculum vitae, freelance, 

secretary, mail address, receptionist, pilot, lecturer, office assistant, clerk, 

accountant, guard, flight attendant, cashier, captain 

Health 

yoga, tai-chi, keep-fit, salad bar, vegetarian, outdoor activities, leisure 

time, disease, meal, protein, balanced diet, food pyramid, vitamin, 

carbohydrates, rice, pasta, potatoes, pizza, tomatoes, bread, cereals, 

minerals, zinc, meat, seafood, eggs, beans, milk, cheese, yoghurt, fruit, 

vegetables, citrus fruits, green pepper, blackcurrant, nuts, egg yolk, liver, 

medicine، treatment, remedy, nursing care, nursery, regular exercise. 

Nature 

field, footbridge, river, mountain, forest, village, environment, waterfall, 

coast, reef, lake, valley, peninsula, earthquake, avalanche, tornado, 

typhoon, hill, cliff, island, desertification, volcano, disaster, landslides, 

storm, flood, hurricane, pond, catastrophe, erosion, jungle, oasis, dam, 

canyon 

The environment 

coal, fossil fuels, acid rain, global warming, carbon dioxide, greenhouse 

effect, burning fossil, exhaust fumes, smog, climate, pollution, 

temperature, power plants, deforestation, nitrogen oxide, landfill, cattle, 

wind turbine, renewable, source of energy, reliable, solar panels, solar 

power, hydroelectric power, environmentally friendly, oxygen, chemical-

free, vegetation, sea level, ocean currents, soil conditioner, firewood, 

desert, degradation, drought, contaminated. 

 

 

Continents 

Australia, Africa, South America, North America, Asia, Europe, Antarctica 

Countries 

Switzerland, Turkey, England, Egypt, Mexico, Germany, Greece, Brazil, 

India, North Korea, the Dominican Republic, France, Indonesia, India, 

Malaysia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, China, Italy, Nigeria, Pakistan, 

Singapore, the Philippines, Denmark. 

Languages 

Japanese, German, linguistics, bilingual, trilingual, polyglot, Portuguese, 

Mandarin, Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Russian, Punjabi, Thai, Persian, 

Filipino, French, Italian, Greek, French 

Architecture and buildings 

dome, palace, fort, castle, glasshouse, pyramid, log cabin, lighthouse, hut, 

skyscraper, sculpture 

Homes 

chimney, bedroom, semi-detached house, duplex, townhouse, row 

house, bungalow, thatched cottage, mobile home, houseboat, a block of 

flats, apartment building, condominium, basement, landlord, terraced 

house, tenant, rent, lease, neighbourhood, suburb, dormitory, story, 

kitchen, refrigerator, microwave, sofa, coffee table, ground floor, oven, 

hallway, insurance 

 

In the city 

central station, cities, street, lane, city centre, car park, department store, 

bridge, temple, hospital, garden, avenue, embassy, road system 

Transportations 

boat, lifeboat, cargo plane, shipment, container ship, ferry, liner, canal 

boat, narrowboat, dinghy sailing, hovercraft, hydrofoil, sailboat, paddle 

steamer, cabin cruiser, kayak, canoe, punt, gondola, aircraft, rowing boat, 

rowboat, helicopter, seaplane, airship, hot-air balloon, airport, platform, 

hire a car, automobile, crew, passenger. 

Workplaces 

staff selection, clinic, dentist, reception, appointment, colleague, 

workshop, employer, employment, unemployed, technical cooperation, 

team leaders, showroom, information desk, stress, ability, vision, 

employee, internship, confidence. 

Places 

parliament, accommodation, local library, swimming pool, cafeteria, 

cottage, restaurant, bookshop, sports centre, city council, canteen, cafe, 

dance studio, park, conversation club, kindergarten 

Money matters 

cash, debit, low-risk investment, credit card, cheque, annual fee, monthly 

membership, tuition fees, poverty, bank statement, money management, 

current account, interest rate, deposit, student account, 

withdraw,  mortgage, grace period, in advance, budget deficit, retail 

voucher, coupon، counterfeit money, debt, interest-free credit, purchase, 

partial refund, annuity, public money, taxpayers’ money, income,  non-

refundable, MasterCard, VISA, duty-free store, distribution costs, finance 

department, family finances. 

Rating and qualities 

expensive, cheap, reasonable, satisfactory, dangerous, poor quality, 

satisfied, disappointed, efficient, luxurious, safe, strongly recommended, 

coloured, spotted, striped. 

Touring 

souvenir, trip, tourist guided tour, ticket office, guest, reservation, view, 

culture, single double-bedded room, picnic, tourist attraction, hostel, 

suite, memorable, aquarium. 

Adjectives 

energetic, social, ancient, necessary, fantastic, exciting, fabulous, dull, 

comfortable, convenient, suitable, affordable, voluntary، mandatory, 

compulsory, temporary, permanent, Immense, vast, salty, extinct, 

vulnerable, pessimistic, optimistic, realistic, practical, knowledgeable, 

flexible, confident, Western, intensive, tranquil, spectacular, intact, 

various 

Verbs 

train, develop, collect, supervise, mark, edit, revise, exhibit, donate, 

surpass, register, support, hunt, persuade, concentrate, discuss, suggest, 

arrange, borrow, immigrate, review, learn, touch. 

Sports 

jet-skiing, bodyboarding,  snowboarding, cricket, baseball, basketball, 

rugby, hang-gliding, skydiving, soccer, American football, hockey, 

swimming, tennis, squash, the javelin,  badminton, ping-pong, field, court, 

pitch, stadium, team, the discus, the hammer, the high jump, horse racing, 

show jumping, polo, cycling, canoeing, refreshment, gymnasium, extreme 

sports, paragliding, abseiling, athlete, gym, bungee jumping, white-water 

rafting, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, mountain biking, push-up, judo, 

recreation, jogging, press-up, snooker, walking,   barbell, treadmill, 

championship. 

Shapes 

Oval, Square, rectangular, triangular, polygon, spherical, circular, curved, 

cylindrical, three dimensions, Measurement width, length, altitude, 

imperial system, metric system, spiral, Mass, depth, breadth, height, 

frequency 

Weather 

humid, hot, sticky, breeze, chilly, cold, cool, dry, dusty, freezing, hot, 

warm, wet, weather forecast, antenna, moisture, 

Equipment and tools 

helmet, light, musical instrument, cassette, silicon chip, digital monitor, 

gadget, device, screen, breaks, wheels, mechanical pencil, disk, backpack, 

The arts and media 

Opera, Orchestra, concert, symphony, the press, conductor, vocalist, 

audience, festival, carnival, exhibition, classical music, theatre, cinemas, 

art gallery, museum, ballet, television, radio, graphics, newspaper 

The animal kingdom 

lion, penguin, seabirds, poultry and game,  birds of prey, mammals, genus, 

species, cetacean, whale, primates, rodents, reptile, insects, octopus, 

phylum, fish, amphibian,  class, order, family, livestock, creature, plants: 

mushroom, fungus, stem, roots, cluster, fertilizer, leaves, seed, core, bark, 

trunk, twig, branch, flower. 

Vehicles 

camper, double-decker bus, single-decker, minibus, forklift truck, school 

bus, coach, truck, tanker, van, lorry, transporter, tow truck, breakdown 

truck, pickup, jeep, taxi, cab, tram, underground, subway, caravan, 

tractor, stream train, freight train, a goods train 

Expressions and time 

midday, three times, three times per week, millennium, a gap year, 

fulltime, part-time, midnight, century, decade, fortnight. 

 

 

Materials 

aluminium, copper, fur, metal, steel, rubber, plastic, ceramics, cement, 

stone, textile, cotton, fabric, wool, glass, leather, bone, paper, 

lumber/wood, glue, concrete, wax, paper, wood, silver, composite, 

fiberglass, gold, feather 

Colour 

blue, white, orange, green, grey, black, red, yellow, purple, brown, pink 

Other 

sufficient, dialogue, passport photo, state, variety, private sector, 

practice, gender, creativity, government, individual, original inhabitant, 

indigenous, demonstration, circuit, guarantee, commerce, carriage, 

narrative, strike, entrance, chocolate, satellite, decision, prototype, 

attitude,  activity, recipient, ultrasound, pedestrian safety, daily routine, 

personal fulfilment, traffic jams, procedures, creation, senior, 

opportunity, driving license, prize, junior, process, literary, man-made, 

republicans, waiting list, sewer systems, liberal democracy, democrats, 

umbrella, frequently updated, lunar calendar, libertarian, burger, videos, 

fund-raising event, magnet, dialect, ramification, straight, nature 

conservation, life expectancy, farewell, welfare, encyclopaedia,  illiteracy, 

robot, proficiency, evolution, revolution.