The mistake almost everyone makes
Lexical Resource sounds like it means "how many words do you know". So candidates learn lists of idioms and advanced synonyms, and then look for places to put them.
The descriptors do not reward that. They reward using words accurately and appropriately, and being able to get around a word you do not have. A rare word used slightly wrongly counts against you; a plain word used exactly right does not.
What each band sounds like
| Band | What it sounds like |
|---|---|
| 5 | Enough vocabulary to talk about familiar things, but limited. Words get repeated. Meaning is sometimes approximate. |
| 6 | Wide enough to discuss most topics at length, but the wrong word is chosen fairly often. Little ability to paraphrase around a gap. |
| 7 | Flexible. Some less common words used, with some awareness of collocation and style. Can paraphrase when a word is missing. |
| 8 | Wide and precise. Uncommon vocabulary used skilfully — that word matters. Idiom used naturally, not inserted. |
| 9 | Full flexibility and precision. Natural, idiomatic, accurate throughout. |
What actually raises the band: collocation
Collocation is which words naturally go together. It is the difference between sounding correct and sounding native, and it is explicitly in the band 7 descriptor.
| Not wrong, but weak | Natural — and it scores |
|---|---|
| do a mistake | make a mistake |
| a big rain | heavy rain |
| strong tea / powerful tea | strong tea is right; powerful tea is not |
| I have a big interest in… | I'm really into… / I have a keen interest in… |
| take a decision (in most English) | make a decision |
None of the good versions are rare words. They are ordinary words in the right partnership. That is what "lexical resource" is measuring, and it is why collocation practice pays far better than a list of advanced synonyms.
The skill the descriptors name directly: paraphrasing
The descriptors reward being able to talk your way around a word you do not have. This is a skill you can practise, and it is worth more than any vocabulary list — because in a real test you will hit a gap.
Suppose the word scaffolding will not come:
- Silence, or a wrong guess — the band 6 outcome.
- "…that metal frame they put around a building while they're repairing it." — the band 7+ outcome.
The second version shows flexibility, keeps you fluent, and scores. Practise it deliberately: pick an object, and describe it for twenty seconds without using its name.
What moves you up a band
| If you are at… | The change that moves you |
|---|---|
| 5 → 6 | Stop repeating the same word. Build enough range to develop an answer, even in plain language. |
| 6 → 7 | Work on collocation, not rare words. And learn to paraphrase around gaps instead of stopping. |
| 7 → 8 | Precision. Use less common vocabulary only where you are certain it is right — and let idiom arrive naturally rather than being inserted. |
This criterion also has a quiet cost attached to memorised language: rehearsed phrases are penalised across the test, so a vocabulary list you deploy on cue can pull down more than one criterion at once.
How to practise
- Learn words in pairs, not alone. Not decision but make a decision. Not rain but heavy rain. Collocation is the unit that scores.
- Practise the twenty-second paraphrase. Describe an object without naming it. This is the exact skill the band 7 descriptor names.
- Cut one fancy word per answer. If you are not certain it fits, the plain word scores higher.
- Get your word choice checked. You cannot see your own imprecision — you know what you meant.
Aflo marks Lexical Resource separately and shows you, sentence by sentence, where a word choice was imprecise and what a more natural version would be.
For the test, and for real English
For the exam: precision beats rarity, collocations beat synonym lists, and a memorised idiom used at the wrong moment costs you more than it earns.
For real English, this is the same skill and it keeps paying. Collocations are what make you sound natural to colleagues and friends long after the test — and unlike a list of exam idioms, they are used every day. This is a rare case where the exam is pushing you in exactly the direction real fluency goes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need advanced vocabulary to get band 7 in IELTS Speaking?
No. Band 7 asks for flexibility and some awareness of collocation and style — not rare words. Band 8 asks for uncommon vocabulary used skilfully, and the word skilfully is what matters: a fancy word used slightly wrongly scores lower than a plain word used exactly right.
Should I memorise idioms for IELTS Speaking?
Learning idioms is fine; deploying memorised ones on cue is not. An idiom dropped into an answer where it does not fit is marked as inappropriate use, and rehearsed language is penalised elsewhere in the test too. Let idiom arrive naturally or leave it out.
What is collocation and why does it matter so much?
Collocation is which words naturally go together — make a mistake, not do a mistake; heavy rain, not big rain. It is named directly in the band 7 descriptor, and none of the good versions are rare words. That is why collocation practice pays far better than a list of advanced synonyms.
What do I do if I cannot remember a word in the test?
Talk around it. If scaffolding will not come, say 'that metal frame they put around a building while they're repairing it'. The descriptors specifically reward being able to paraphrase around a gap, so this scores better than stopping — and better than guessing a word you are unsure of.