Vocabularies for Listening IELTS
Schooling
Common verbs: register for/ enroll in/ enlist in/ sign up for, cancel/call off,
postpone/put off, waive a course
Subjects: science, business, creative writing class, history, philosophy, math,
trigonometry, astronomy, economics, biochemistry, anthropology, accounting,
banking, psychology, linguistics, literature, engineering, architecture, algebra,
geology, archaeology, botany, law, sociology, finance, arts/humanities/social
science
Type of courses: introductory course, intermediate course, advanced course,
required/compulsory course, non-credit course, prerequisite course, credit course,
seminar, optional/elective course, full-time course
Languages: Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Italian,
Arabic, French
Offices/Departments:
Admissions office, foreign/international/oversea student office, student union,
common hall
Others:
Applicant, course, test, mid-term exam, pop quiz, high mark/perfect grade,
orientation week, application form, arrangement, quiz, full marks, enrolment,
exam, final exam
Library
Borrowing/Returning books: borrow, check out, charge for, renew, overdue, due,
renewal, return
Section in the library: audio & video, information desk, delivery/circulation desk,
reference stacks/desk, cataloguing department, periodical reading room, rare book
collection, multimedia center, reading room, study lounge, open shelf, stacks.
Library-related lexical items: library card, student card, book, fine, current issue,
copier/photocopier, librarian, date of expiration, bibliography, magazine binder,
admission card, index, reservation, moratorium, back issue, due date, second-hand
book, classification, interlibrary service.

Symptoms: symptom, flu, earache, headache, indigestion, itch, feel dizzy, high/low
temperature, high/low blood pressure, have a runny nose, heart attack, cold,
headache, sore throat, dry cough, feel weak, nausea, high/low fever, have a stuffed
nose, cough, toothache, allergy, chill, vomit, diarrhea
Specialists, treatment, medicine: doctor, surgery, physician/internist, make an
appointment, take one’s temperature, prescription, pill, tablet, eye drops, swearing
medicine, dentist, optometrist, pediatrician, feel one’s pulse/blood pressure,
treatment, operation, granule, capsule, cough syrup, febrifuge, surgeon, diagnose,
eye doctor/oculist, injection, penicillin, aspirin, bandage.
Others: Contagious, maintain a healthy lifestyle, vitamin, drink more water, go on
a diet, take days off, emergency room, first aid kit, ambulance, eat more fruit and
vegetable
Banks and banking
Account-related lexical items: open an account, fixed account, time deposit,
bankbook/passbook, cash point, close an account, savings account, current
account, account balance, automatic teller machine (ATM), checkbook, travellers
cheque /check
Currency: pound, cent, quarter, bill/note, penny, nickel, cash, dollar, dime, foreign
currency
Others: balance, credit rating, endorse a check, identification card, notarized
document, safe deposit box/safe withdraw money, instalment, accountant,
telegraphic transfer, cash a check, debt, inflation, loan, penalty, signature, void,
cashier, deposit/withdrawal slip, credit card, deposit, interest rate, mortgage,
recession, valid, service charge, teller.
Post Office
Wrap a parcel, string, weigh, slot, tape, package, brown paper, scissors, first class,
second class, third class, fourth class.
Photography
Blurry, focus, shot, develop, flash, adjust the focus, a roll of film, enlarge
Supermarket

with/match, be out of fashion, boutique, new arrival, out of stock, give 10% off, on
sale, chain store, bargain
Accidents, weather, disasters
Lost child, airplane crash, earthquake, fire, fire truck, blizzard, tornado, tidal wave,
search and rescue team, gust, shower, It’s raining cats and dogs/ It’s
pouring/Today is a perfect day for ducks, sleet, scattered rain, cloudy, sunny, car
accident, explosion, landslide, firefighter, drought, hurricane, volcanic eruption,
flood, breeze, drizzle, heavy rain, thunderstorm, overcast, mild
Geographical names
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
London, Oxford, Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester,
Liverpool, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Cardiff, Wales, Salisbury, Stratford-upon-Avon,
Lincoln, Northern Ireland, England, Cambridge, Brighton, Plymouth, Nottingham,
Sheffield, Hull, Newcastle, Glasgow, Dundee, Scotland, Bath, Windsor, Lancaster,
Belfast
Ireland:
Dublin
Australia:
Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Queensland, New South
Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia
New Zealand:
Wellington
Canada:
Ottawa, Victoria, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Vancouver, Edmonton,
Toronto, Montreal
The United States of America:
Washington, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco
Other cities throughout the World:
Amsterdam (Holland/Netherlands), Athens (Greece), Bangkok (Thailand), Belgrade
(Yugoslavia), Berlin (Germany), Bombay (India), Brussels (Belgium), Bucharest