Hello, I’m Chen Wei, and one of the biggest fears my IELTS students share is, “What if I don’t know some words in the passage?”
Here’s the truth — even native speakers don’t understand every word in IELTS Reading. The difference between Band 6 and Band 8 is not the size of vocabulary, but how you deal with unknown words. In this lesson, I’ll teach you practical, examiner-approved strategies to guess meaning accurately and stay calm under time pressure
Each IELTS Reading passage may include 10–15 unfamiliar words, especially in Academic modules drawn from journals or magazines. The test assesses your ability to infer meaning from context, not to memorise the dictionary.
You can still achieve Band 8+ if you know how to:
1️⃣ Don’t Panic — Focus on Understanding the Sentence
When you meet an unknown word, look at the whole sentence, not the word itself. Identify what part of speech it is (noun, verb, adjective). Grammar gives strong clues.
Example:
The experiment was hampered by bad weather.
Even if you don’t know “hampered,” you can see it’s a verb describing what happened to the experiment. Context shows it’s something negative — likely delayed or interrupted.
2️⃣ Use Context Clues
Writers often define or explain a difficult word nearby.
Clue Type | Signal Words | Example |
Definition | is, means, refers to | “Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make food.” |
Synonym / Restatement | that is, in other words, or | “The town was deserted, or empty.” |
Contrast / Antonym | however, although, unlike | “Unlike its opaque surface, the glass window was clear.” |
Example | for example, such as | “Many predators, such as lions and tigers…” |
Spotting these signals allows you to decode meaning instantly.
3️⃣ Look for Word Roots and Prefixes
English words share Latin or Greek roots. Recognising them can unlock meaning:
Root / Prefix | Meaning | Example | Guess |
bio- | life | biology | study of life |
tele- | distant | telephone | sound from distance |
-logy | study of | ecology | study of environment |
During IELTS practice, note common roots — they appear repeatedly across science and social-science topics.
4️⃣ Use Synonym Awareness from Questions
The question wording often paraphrases the passage. If the question says “benefits of renewable energy” but the text mentions “advantages of sustainable sources,” you already understand the link. Training your mind to connect synonyms improves both speed and accuracy.
5️⃣ Skip and Return If Necessary
If a word doesn’t seem important for the question, move on. IELTS rarely asks about rare terms; it tests comprehension of main ideas and relationships. Don’t waste time decoding one difficult word if you understand the rest of the sentence
Sentence:
“The company implemented several austerity measures to reduce expenditure.”
Clues:
You didn’t need a dictionary — context told you enough.
1️⃣ Translating everything – IELTS is not a translation test. Think in English patterns.
2️⃣ Ignoring grammar – If you misread a noun as a verb, your guess will fail.
3️⃣ Guessing wildly – Always base your guess on evidence from context.
4️⃣ Memorising rare words – Focus on academic word families and prefixes instead.
Sentence 1: “The climate was arid, making it difficult for plants to survive.”
→ Unknown word: arid → Clue: “difficult for plants to survive” → Inference: dry
Sentence 2: “The students gave unanimous support to the proposal.”
→ Clue: “all agreed” → Inference: complete agreement
Practise five such sentences daily to train contextual awareness.
Strategy | How to Apply It | Result |
Build word families | Study noun/verb/adjective forms (e.g. analyse → analysis → analytical) | Better grammar choices |
Read diverse sources | Science, history, environment articles | Broader contextual knowledge |
Keep a “Guess & Check” journal | Write your guess before checking a dictionary | Improves retention by 40 % |
Practise timed reading | Use Cambridge tests with a clock | Builds confidence under pressure |
Remember, Dealing with Unknown Vocabulary is about smart reasoning, not memorisation. The IELTS Reading test rewards candidates who stay calm, analyse context, and make logical guesses.
Next, continue with Understanding Paraphrasing to see how IELTS hides meaning through rewording.
Or return to the IELTS Reading Skills & Exam Strategy page for the complete foundation map.
For authentic vocabulary practice, visit the British Council IELTS Reading Resources section.
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