25 Essential IELTS Pie Chart Vocabulary for Band 7+ Writing

IELTS Pie Chart vocabulary is essential for Writing Task 1 success. If you’re preparing for the IELTS exam and find pie charts confusing, you’re not alone. Many students struggle with describing proportions, comparisons, and percentages clearly. The good news? With the right vocabulary, you can turn that struggle into a strength.

In this guide, we’ll explore more than 25 essential vocabulary words and phrases you need to confidently describe IELTS pie charts like a Band 7+ candidate. We’ll group vocabulary by function, include real-life style examples, and offer smart tips for using these words naturally. Whether you’re writing about spending habits, energy usage, or food preferences, this vocabulary will help you sound more accurate, academic, and confident.

Why Vocabulary Matters in IELTS Pie Chart Descriptions

In Writing Task 1, you’re assessed on four criteria: Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. “Lexical Resource” specifically refers to your range and precision of vocabulary. If you’re always writing “shows,” “goes up,” or “a big amount,” your score may plateau around Band 6.

To reach Band 7 or higher, your writing needs to demonstrate:

• A wide range of appropriate vocabulary
• Precision in describing proportions and comparisons
• An academic tone
• Variation to avoid repetition

And that starts with knowing the right words.

IELTS Pie Chart Vocabulary: Grouped by Function

Let’s dive into the vocabulary, broken into logical sections to make learning easier and faster.

1. Verbs for Describing Proportions

These verbs help describe what part of the whole each category represents.

• account for
• represent
• comprise
• make up
• constitute
• illustrate (for what the chart shows overall)
• indicate
• depict

Example Sentences:

• Females accounted for 45% of total enrollment.
• Food expenses represented the highest proportion of spending.
• Renewable energy sources made up just 15% of total usage.

Real-life-style Example: Imagine a pie chart showing monthly expenses. If rent is 40% of the pie, you could say: “Rent constituted the largest portion of monthly expenses.”

2. Nouns and Phrases for Describing Percentages

These expressions describe the amount or proportion of a segment.

• a small proportion
• a significant percentage
• a minority / a majority
• an equal share
• a tiny fraction
• just under / just over
• one-third / two-thirds / a quarter

Example Sentences:

• A minority of the budget was spent on leisure activities.
• Healthcare and housing had equal shares, each at 20%.
• Just over a third of the population preferred online shopping.

Real-life-style Example: If you’re describing household energy use and heating is 50%, write: “Heating accounted for half of the total household energy consumption.”

3. Comparison Phrases

Pie charts often require you to compare slices. Here’s how to do it effectively:

• higher / lower than
• more / less than
• twice as much as
• three times more than
• the largest / smallest portion
• similar to
• compared to / in comparison with
• significantly more / marginally less

Example Sentences:

• The proportion of spending on food was twice as high as on clothing.
• Education and transport had similar shares, at 15% and 14% respectively.
• Compared to 2010, the budget for health increased significantly in 2020.

Real-life-style Example: In a pie chart comparing social media usage: “Instagram usage was considerably lower than Facebook, which dominated the chart.”

4. Adjectives and Adverbs for Describing Degree

These help add nuance to your writing.

• dominant / minimal / equal / noticeable / substantial
• significantly / slightly / marginally / considerably / dramatically / predominantly

Example Sentences:

• Housing was the dominant expense category.
• Transport spending was marginally lower than utilities.
• The pie chart is predominantly divided among four key sectors.

Real-life-style Example: If four categories take up 90% of the chart, you can say: “The chart is predominantly divided among housing, transport, food, and education.”

5. Time Connectors and Sentence Starters

These phrases help structure your answer when comparing multiple pie charts over time.

• in 2010 / by 2020 / during the decade
• over the period
• between the two years
• throughout the timeframe
• remained stable
• saw an increase / decrease

Example Sentences:

• Between 2000 and 2010, spending on education increased noticeably.
• Over the decade, transport became a more dominant expense.
• Healthcare remained stable at around 15%.

Real-life-style Example: If two pie charts compare online sales in 2015 and 2020: “Over the five-year period, online fashion sales saw a noticeable increase, while electronics declined.”

How to Apply This Vocabulary in Real IELTS Tasks

Sample Task:

The pie chart shows the percentage of different types of energy production in a European country in 1990 and 2010.

Sample Band 7+ Sentence:

In 1990, fossil fuels accounted for nearly two-thirds of energy production, while renewables made up a minority share of just 12%. By 2010, however, renewable sources constituted a significant portion, increasing dramatically to 32%.

Breakdown:

• “accounted for” = precise academic verb
• “two-thirds” = accurate fraction
• “made up” = alternative verb
• “minority share” = formal noun phrase
• “constituted” / “dramatically” = Band 7+ vocabulary

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Repeating “show/shows” multiple times.
   Fix: Use “illustrate,” “depict,” or “present.”
2. Mixing up percentages and fractions.
   Fix: Keep consistent formatting (don’t write “35%” then suddenly “a third” if they don’t match).
3. Being vague.
   Fix: Avoid phrases like “a lot” or “a big part” — use “a significant proportion” or “a noticeable share.”
4. Overusing the same comparison structure.
   Fix: Mix “more than” with “twice as much as” or “marginally higher than.”
5. Incorrect tone.
   Fix: Don’t use casual words like “a bunch,” “loads,” or “stuff” in academic writing.

Practice Activity (Write Your Own)

Imagine the following IELTS Task 1 prompt:

The pie charts show the proportion of different types of transportation used by people in one city in 2000 and 2020.

Write 3 sentences using at least five of the vocabulary items from this article. Try to include one verb, one adverb, one comparison, and one percentage phrase.

Example: In 2000, cars accounted for the largest portion of transport use, at just over half. By 2020, public transport usage increased significantly, while bicycle use remained marginally lower than walking.

Tips to Learn and Remember Pie Chart Vocabulary

• ✅ Group similar words: Keep a notebook or spreadsheet with words grouped by function (verbs, adverbs, comparisons).
• 🧠 Use memory techniques: Try flashcards or apps like Anki.
• ✍️ Practice daily: Write one sentence or paragraph using new words each day.
• 📊 Review real pie charts: Use Google Images or old IELTS tests to practice.
• 🔁 Avoid repetition: Don’t use “account for” in every sentence. Mix it up with “represent,” “comprise,” or “constitute.”

Final Thoughts

Using accurate and varied IELTS Pie Chart vocabulary helps you go from a Band 6 to Band 7 or above. It shows the examiner that you can describe data clearly, compare categories, and write in an academic tone.

Keep practising with real IELTS pie chart tasks, and slowly build your own vocabulary bank from this list. Combine it with strong grammar and logical structure, and you’ll be on track for a high score.

📥 Free Download

Want to keep these words handy? Download your free cheat sheet here and keep practising with sample pie chart tasks.

🔗 Read Next:

• 25 IELTS Line Graph Vocabulary for Band 7+
• 25 IELTS Bar Chart Vocabulary with Examples