IELTS Writing Task 1 vocabulary for graphs and trends
Writing Task 1 in the Academic IELTS test asks you to describe a chart, graph, table or diagram in at least 150 words. Examiners look for an overview of the main trends and accurate language for change and comparison. This deck is built specifically for that task, and it also helps in Speaking whenever you describe how something has changed.
Start with verbs of movement. Things increase, rise, grow or double; they decrease, fall, decline or drop; and they fluctuate when they go up and down. A line may reach a peak, level off at a plateau, or remain stable or steady. Stabilise describes the moment a change stops. Many of these words also work as nouns, so you can vary your sentences: "Sales rose sharply" or "There was a sharp rise in sales."
Next, learn how to describe the size and speed of change. For size, use slight, moderate, considerable, significant and dramatic, and their adverbs slightly, significantly and dramatically. For speed, use gradual, gradually, steady, rapid, rapidly, sharp and sharply. Combining one verb with one adverb gives you precise, natural phrases such as "increased gradually" or "fell dramatically".
Comparison and numbers make up the rest of the deck. Proportion, percentage, figure, total, majority and average describe amounts; approximately and roughly soften exact numbers; respectively links several items with several figures in order. To compare, use compare, comparison, contrast and whereas: "Car use doubled, whereas bus use fell slightly." Finish with overall, the classic signal for your overview sentence, and estimate, predict and forecast for charts that show the future.
Study these 49 words Take a quiz
49 graph and trend words with definitions
| Word | Pronunciation | Part of speech | Definition | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| increase | /ɪnˈkriːs/ | v. | to make or become something larger in size or amount | A2 |
| decrease | /dɪˈkriːs/ | v. | to reduce the size, amount, or number of something | B1 |
| rise | /raɪz/ | v. | to move from a lower position to a higher one | A2 |
| fall | /fɔːl/ | v. | dropping from a standing position to the ground | A1 |
| decline | /dɪˈklaɪn/ | v. | to not accept an invitation or offer; refuse | B2 |
| drop | /drɒp/ | v. | to let something fall from your hand | A2 |
| grow | /ɡrəʊ/ | v. | to develop and become bigger or taller over time | A1 |
| reduction | /rɪˈdʌkʃən/ | n. | making something smaller; reducing something | B2 |
| fluctuate | /ˈflʌktʃueɪt/ | v. | Rise and fall irregularly in level, amount, or value | C1 |
| fluctuation | /ˌflʌktʃuˈeɪʃən/ | n. | A change in level or amount, especially up and down | C1 |
| peak | /piːk/ | n. | the time or place when something or someone is best, greatest, highest | B2 |
| plateau | /ˈplætəʊ/ | n. | A large area of flat land higher than surrounding land | C1 |
| stable | /ˈsteɪbəl/ | adj. | in a good situation or condition; not likely to change | B2 |
| steady | /ˈstedi/ | adj. | firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking, rocking, or likely to fall over | B2 |
| stabilise | /'steibilaiz/ | v. | v support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace; v become stable or more stable | L3 |
| gradual | /ˈɡrædʒuəl/ | adj. | Happening slowly through small changes over time | B2 |
| gradually | /ˈɡrædʒuəli/ | adv. | occurring in a slow manner over a period of time | B1 |
| sharp | /ʃɑːp/ | adj. | having a thin edge or point that is able to cut | B1 |
| sharply | /'ʃɑ:pli/ | adv. | in a well delineated manner; changing suddenly in direction and degree | L2 |
| significant | /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ | adj. | large enough to be noticed or have an effect; important | B2 |
| significantly | adv. | in a way that is important or noticeable | L1 | |
| slight | /slaɪt/ | adj. | very small in degree or amount | B2 |
| slightly | /ˈslaɪtli/ | adv. | concerning a small quantity or degree | B1 |
| dramatic | /drə'mætik/ | adj. | sudden and extreme | L1 |
| dramatically | /drə'mætikli/ | adv. | in a sudden or extreme manner | L2 |
| considerable | /kənˈsɪdərəbl/ | adj. | large in size, amount, or effect | B2 |
| rapid | /ˈræpɪd/ | adj. | happening very quickly | B2 |
| rapidly | /ˈræpɪdli/ | adv. | with great speed | B2 |
| moderate | /ˈmɒdərət/ | adj. | average in size or amount | B2 |
| proportion | /prəˈpɔːʃən/ | n. | an amount that is a part of a whole thing | B2 |
| percentage | /pəˈsentɪdʒ/ | n. | part of a whole divided into hundredths | B1 |
| figure | /ˈfɪɡə/ | n. | to understand after thinking; work out | B1 |
| trend | /trend/ | n. | general direction of developing, proceeding | B1 |
| total | /ˈtəʊtəl/ | adj. | whole number or amount of something | A2 |
| majority | /məˈdʒɒrəti/ | n. | amount that is more than half of a group | B2 |
| average | /ˈævərɪdʒ/ | adj. | typical or normal; usual; ordinary | B1 |
| approximately | /əˈprɒksɪmətli/ | adv. | around; nearly; almost; about (a number) | B1 |
| roughly | /ˈrʌfli/ | adv. | in an inexact or imprecise manner | B1 |
| respectively | /ri'spektivli/ | adv. | in the order people or things were mentioned | L2 |
| compare | /kəmˈpeə/ | v. | to consider how similar and different things are | A2 |
| comparison | /kəmˈpærɪsən/ | n. | looking for differences and similarities in two or more things | B1 |
| contrast | /kən'træst/ | n. | to compare; to show clear, obvious differences | L1 |
| whereas | /hwєər'æz/ | conj. | taking into consideration the fact that | L2 |
| overall | /ˌəʊvərˈɔːl/ | adj. | viewed as a whole; in general, not as details | B2 |
| double | /ˈdʌbəl/ | adj. | two times the amount or degree; twice | A2 |
| triple | /ˈtrɪpəl/ | adj. | Three times as much, or consisting of three parts | B2 |
| estimate | /ˈestɪmeɪt/ | v. | guess or calculation of cost, size, or value | B2 |
| predict | /prɪˈdɪkt/ | v. | to guess or estimate what will or might happen | B1 |
| forecast | /ˈfɔːkɑːst/ | n. | a prediction of some future thing (e.g., the weather) | B2 |
How to use these words in Writing Task 1
Practise with the cards every day for a few minutes. Today's words come back tomorrow for an overnight review, then at longer intervals. After each session, find any simple chart, from a news site or a textbook, and describe it in four sentences using at least six words from this deck.
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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.