IELTS Lexical Resource explained: how vocabulary is scored in Writing and Speaking
What IELTS Lexical Resource means at Bands 5–8, what examiners reward, and practical ways to raise your vocabulary score.
By English Grader study guides · AI-assisted educational content · Official sources linked below
The short answer
Lexical Resource is about range, precision and natural collocation—not rare or long words.
What it measures
Lexical Resource is 25% of both Writing and Speaking scores. Examiners look at range, precision, collocation, word formation and spelling (Writing) or naturalness (Speaking).
Related guide: Read all four criteria
Band 6 vs Band 7
The jump is about precision and less common items.
- Band 6: adequate range, some errors that don't block meaning
- Band 7: less common items, awareness of style and collocation, occasional errors
- Band 8: wide range used fluently and flexibly
Band 6 → Band 7
Many people use phones too much. → A growing number of people are becoming overly dependent on their smartphones.
How to improve
Learn topic phrases, check collocations, and practise using new words in real answers.
Study topic vocabulary lists →In Speaking
Natural idiomatic language and paraphrasing when you forget a word both count.
Practise a Speaking answer →Put this into practice
Submit a Task 2 essay or Speaking answer and see your vocabulary feedback against the band descriptors.
Guest AI tries are limited to one use per feature per day. Sign in for saved progress. AI feedback and band estimates are practice guidance, not official IELTS results.
Official sources and further reading
Practice examples and study routines are illustrative advice, not official band-scored answers or predictions of exam questions.