IELTS education vocabulary
Education is a favourite IELTS topic because every candidate has experience of it. Writing Task 2 questions ask whether university should be free, whether practical skills matter more than academic knowledge, or how technology is changing the classroom. In Speaking Part 1 you may simply be asked about your studies, while Part 3 can turn to big questions such as the purpose of a university degree.
This deck collects the words that let you talk about education systems accurately. Stages of schooling are a good place to start: primary, secondary and tertiary education, followed by undergraduate and graduate study. For money, learn tuition and scholarship. For what students actually do, you have lecture, seminar, tutorial, assignment, essay and dissertation. To discuss the content of learning, use curriculum (the whole programme of study) and syllabus (the plan for one subject), two words that candidates often mix up.
Many strong answers compare academic and vocational routes, or discuss whether some subjects should be compulsory. Words such as literacy, numeracy and qualification help you write about the aims of education and the needs of employers. If you want to discuss honesty in study, plagiarism is the precise word, and assessment covers exams, coursework and every other way of measuring progress. Even a small word like atlas is worth knowing for Speaking Part 1 questions about geography lessons and maps.
Watch for spelling and collocation. British English uses enrol and enrolment with one final "l"; you enrol on a course and attend a lecture rather than "join" or "listen" one. You obtain or earn a degree, and you sit or take an exam. These pairings make your writing sound natural.
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53 education words with definitions
| Word | Pronunciation | Part of speech | Definition | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| education | /ˌedʒuˈkeɪʃən/ | n. | process of giving or receiving teaching | A2 |
| atlas | /ˈætləs/ | n. | A book containing maps of the world or particular regions | B1 |
| curriculum | /kəˈrɪkjələm/ | n. | group of related courses in a school or college | B2 |
| syllabus | /'siləbəs/ | n. | the teaching schedule for a course in a school or university | L3 |
| academic | /ˌækəˈdemɪk/ | adj. | related to education or school; (n) educator who works at a college or university | B2 |
| tuition | /tjuˈɪʃən/ | n. | money paid for teaching at a school or university | B2 |
| scholarship | /ˈskɒləʃɪp/ | n. | money given to a student to pay for education | B2 |
| undergraduate | /ˌʌndəˈɡrædʒuət/ | n. | a college student who is working toward his or her first degree | B2 |
| graduate | /ˈɡrædʒuət/ | n. | (v) to receive a degree from a college or university; (n) a person who has received a degree | B1 |
| degree | /dɪˈɡriː/ | n. | unit for measuring temperature or angles | A2 |
| diploma | /dɪˈpləʊmə/ | n. | an official document showing successful completion of a course | B1 |
| lecture | /ˈlektʃə/ | n. | talk or speech about a particular subject | B1 |
| seminar | /ˈsemɪnɑː/ | n. | a small class at a college or university | B2 |
| tutorial | /tjuːˈtɔːriəl/ | n. | A lesson where a tutor teaches individuals or small groups | B2 |
| assignment | /əˈsaɪnmənt/ | n. | A duty that you are give to do (especially in the armed forces) | B1 |
| essay | /ˈeseɪ/ | n. | short written work that displays someone's opinions or beliefs regarding a particular subject | A2 |
| thesis | /ˈθiːsɪs/ | n. | a long essay; a position taken in an argument supported by a set of reasons | C1 |
| dissertation | /ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃən/ | n. | an in-depth paper submitted for a doctorate degree | C1 |
| exam | /ɪɡˈzæm/ | n. | test of your knowledge or ability in something | A1 |
| examination | /ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən/ | n. | test of your knowledge of, or ability in something | B1 |
| assessment | /əˈsesmənt/ | n. | opinion based on judging the qualities of something or someone | B2 |
| qualification | /ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | n. | official record proving a certain standard or level | B1 |
| literacy | /ˈlɪtərəsi/ | n. | The ability to read and write | B2 |
| numeracy | /'njumərəsi/ | n. | skill with numbers and mathematics | L3 |
| discipline | /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ | n. | the teaching of self-control through instruction and practice | B2 |
| pupil | /ˈpjuːpəl/ | n. | 1. a child or young person who is being taught; a student; 2. the black round part in the center of the eye that lets in light | A2 |
| enrol | /ɪnˈrəʊl/ | v. | Officially join, or register someone for, a course or organisation | B2 |
| enrolment | /in'rəulmənt/ | n. | n the act of enrolling | L3 |
| campus | /ˈkæmpəs/ | n pl. | the site of an institution, such as a university campus | B1 |
| faculty | /ˈfæklti/ | n. | the teachers in a school or college | B2 |
| professor | /prəˈfesə/ | n. | a teacher of high rank in a university or college | A2 |
| tutor | /ˈtjuːtə/ | n. | a teacher | B1 |
| institution | /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən/ | n. | organization created for a particular cause or purpose | B2 |
| vocational | /vəʊˈkeɪʃənəl/ | adj. | Relating to practical skills and training for a particular job | B2 |
| compulsory | /kəmˈpʌlsəri/ | adj. | required by a law or rule, rather than optional | B2 |
| primary | /ˈpraɪməri/ | adj. | most important, most basic or essential | B1 |
| secondary | /ˈsekəndri/ | adj. | less important than something else | B1 |
| tertiary | /ˈtɜːʃəri/ | adj. | Relating to education at college or university level | C1 |
| knowledge | /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/ | n. | information, understanding, or skill | A2 |
| skill | /skɪl/ | n. | ability to do something well | A2 |
| learner | /'lə:nə/ | n. | someone (especially a child) who learns (as from a teacher) or takes up knowledge or beliefs | L2 |
| attendance | /əˈtendəns/ | n. | state of being present at a place or event | B2 |
| achievement | /əˈtʃiːvmənt/ | n. | something good that you have successfully done | B1 |
| plagiarism | /'pleidʒiərizm/ | n. | a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work; the act of plagiarizing | L3 |
| research | /rɪˈsɜːtʃ/ | n. | to carefully study to find and report new knowledge | B1 |
| grade | /ɡreɪd/ | n. | level of study that is completed by a student | B1 |
| certificate | /səˈtɪfɪkət/ | n. | An official document proving a fact or qualification | B1 |
| subject | /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/ | n. | the person, or thing that is being talked, or written about | A2 |
| mentor | /'mentɔ:/ | n. | an experienced or wise person who teaches or helps another person | L2 |
| homework | /ˈhəʊmwɜːk/ | n. | work that a student is given to do at home | A1 |
| classroom | /ˈklɑːsruːm/ | n. | room in a school where lessons take place | A1 |
| illiterate | /ɪˈlɪtərət/ | adj. | Unable to read or write | C1 |
| bilingual | /ˌbaɪˈlɪŋɡwəl/ | adj. | being able to speak two languages well | B2 |
How to use these words in Writing and Speaking
Study with the cards for a few minutes a day. New words you meet today come back tomorrow for an overnight review, and the scheduler then spaces them out as they become familiar. After each session, try answering a practice question aloud, such as "Should university education be free for everyone?", and use at least five words from this deck in your answer.
Other topics
Data sources and credits
- Headwords and English definitions: New General Service List 1.2 & New Academic Word List 1.2 — Browne, C., Culligan, B. & Phillips, J., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phonetics, CEFR levels, example sentences and Chinese glosses: Word Atlas — Word Atlas contributors — CC BY 4.0. Modified: fields selected, senses shortened, Chinese converted to Traditional characters.
- More phonetics and Chinese translations: ECDICT (MIT)
- Scheduling: ts-fsrs (MIT)
- The topic decks and all page texts are our own.