IELTS science and research vocabulary

Science vocabulary is useful across the IELTS test. Reading passages are often taken from popular science articles, Writing Task 2 may ask whether governments should fund space exploration or medical research, and Speaking Part 3 can include questions about why some young people avoid science subjects. Even if you are not a scientist, you need clear words for how knowledge is built.

This deck focuses on the language of the scientific method. Learn hypothesis (an idea to be tested), theory (a well-supported explanation), experiment, observation, sample, method, analysis and conclusion. Pay attention to word forms: analyse is the British spelling of the verb and analysis the noun; observe is the verb and observation the noun; science, scientist and scientific form a family you will use constantly.

Subjects and building blocks follow: physics, chemistry and biology, and at smaller scales atom, molecule, cell, gene and organism. Genetic and evolution help with questions about modern medicine and the natural world. For space, learn space, universe, planet, astronaut and telescope, which are useful for the common essay on whether space exploration is worth the money.

Words that describe quality help you evaluate claims: accurate, measure, discovery and phenomenon (plural: phenomena). A sentence such as "Accurate measurements are essential if an experiment is to support a hypothesis" shows academic precision. In Reading, these words often signal the structure of a passage, so recognising them quickly saves time.

Science passages in the Reading test often use cautious language, so notice phrases like "the results suggest" or "the evidence indicates". Using this careful style in your own writing, rather than claiming that something is always true, makes your arguments sound more academic and more believable to the examiner.