Vocabulary in IELTS Speaking
- Not measured here
- One quarter of your band
- Free scored take
Hear it in your own voice.
What is the hardest part of English for you?
Press record, answer out loud, then press again.
One free take on this device · no account · no card
sayit does not score vocabulary
sayit's band is an estimate built from two things a microphone can actually measure — fluency and pronunciation. Lexical resource and grammatical range are marked by a human examiner and are not measured here. Everything below is real advice on the criterion, and the transcript we show after a take lets you judge your own vocabulary — but the number on the result is not measuring it, and we will not pretend otherwise.What actually moves vocabulary
Precision beats rarity
Examiners reward the right word, not the rare one. Saying a street was narrow and steep is worth more than saying it was labyrinthine, if labyrinthine is not quite what you meant.
Collocation
Words that belong together — heavy traffic, make a decision, deeply grateful — are noticed immediately, because a learner who has them has read and listened a great deal.
Paraphrase under pressure
When the word will not come, saying it another way keeps the answer moving and is explicitly rewarded. Stopping to hunt for the exact word costs you on two criteria at once.
Memorised phrases are audible
A rehearsed idiom dropped into an otherwise simple answer stands out — the rhythm changes. Examiners are trained to notice, and it counts against you.
Four drills that work
- 1Take one question and answer it twice, the second time without any of the content words you used the first time.
- 2Collect collocations, not single words: write down the verb that came with the noun.
- 3Practise the escape routes out loud — 'a sort of…', 'the thing you use to…' — so paraphrase is automatic rather than a last resort.
- 4Record the answer anyway: sayit shows the transcript, so you can read your own word choices back and judge them yourself.
Straight answers
Does sayit score my vocabulary?
No. We measure fluency and pronunciation, and the band estimate is built from those two only. We do show the full transcript of what you said, so you can assess your own word choices — and we say this on every result rather than implying a complete mark.
Should I memorise idioms for IELTS?
No. Idioms used naturally help; idioms inserted because they were on a list are obvious and usually slightly wrong, which draws attention to the vocabulary rather than the answer.
How much vocabulary do I need for band 7?
Range matters less than control. A speaker with a moderate vocabulary used accurately and flexibly outscores one who reaches for impressive words and misses.
Hear your own vocabulary
Record one answer and read the full analysis: pace, pauses, filler count and every sound against its target. Free, no card, nothing blurred.
More reading: the pronunciation habits that hold a candidate at 6.5