IELTS Writing Task 2 synonyms: replace common words without errors
Useful IELTS Task 2 synonyms for important, problem, increase, people and more—plus when synonyms help and when they cause mistakes.
By English Grader study guides · AI-assisted educational content · Official sources linked below
The short answer
Use synonyms to avoid repetition, but only ones you know the exact meaning and collocation of—a wrong synonym costs more than a repeated word.
Why synonyms matter
Lexical Resource rewards flexibility. Repeating 'important' five times signals limited range.
Related guide: Practise paraphrasing
Synonyms for overused words
Check the collocation before using each one.
- important → crucial, essential, significant
- problem → issue, challenge, concern
- increase → rise, grow, climb (noun: a surge)
- people → individuals, citizens, the public
- good → beneficial, positive, valuable
- bad → harmful, detrimental, damaging
When synonyms go wrong
Near-synonyms are rarely interchangeable.
Get feedback on an essay →Unnatural → Natural
a crucial amount of money → a significant amount of money detrimental weather → bad weather citizens of the school → students
Build range by topic
Topic lists give precise words that avoid generic synonyms altogether.
Study topic vocabulary →Put this into practice
Write a Task 2 essay and use the feedback to spot repetition and unnatural word choices.
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Official sources and further reading
Practice examples and study routines are illustrative advice, not official band-scored answers or predictions of exam questions.