In the English language, there are two types of words: formal and informal. Formal words are used in academic and business writing while informal words are commonly used in everyday conversations. Knowing when to use formal or informal English can be a tricky task for students preparing for the IELTS exam. To help you out, here is a list of formal and informal words that you can use in your next IELTS essay.
Formal and Informal Words List for IELTS
Below is the list of 300 formal and informal words for IELTS.
- Check – Verify
- Come after – Follow
- Anyways – Nevertheless
- Cheap – Inexpensive
- Adequate – Sufficient
- Link up – Connect
- Break down – Fail/Collapse
- Bright/smart – Intelligent
- Help – Assist
- Ask – Enquire
- Make up – Fabricate
- Keep – Preserve
- Call on – Visit
- Demand – Request
- Make out – Discern
- Bring in – Introduce
- Bring in – Introduce
- A bit – A little
- Look for – Seek
- Call on – Visit
- Go after – Pursue
- Expect – Anticipate
- Young – Youthful
- Also In – Addition,
- Go on – Continue
- Wrong – Incorrect
- Hungry – Famished
- Really big – Considerable
- Free – Liberate
- Speed up – Accelerate
- Get by – Survive
- Look up to – Respect
- Give – Donate
- At first – Initially
- Good – Positive
- Talk into – Persuade
- Fight – Combat
- Beginning – Start
- Put/ set down – Deposit
- Worse – Inferior
- Better – Improved
- Tough – Difficult
- Use – Utilize
- Death – Demise
- Drop out – of Withdraw (from)
- Tell – Inform
- Chance – Opportunity
- Good for – Beneficial
- Describe – Depict
- Settle for – Choose
- Lively – Energetic
- Ask Out – Invite
- Get by – Survive
- Get – Receive
- Sick – Ill
- Let – Permit
- Can Is – capable of
- Throw out – Eject
- Rich – Wealthy
- Describe – Depict
- Expect – Anticipate
- Old – Elderly
- Mend – Repair
- Go on – Continue
- Enough – Sufficient
- Belongings – Possessions
- Throw away – Discard
- Put in – Insert
- Big/Large – Enormous
- Right – Correct
- Free – Release
- Try out – Test
- Go before – Precede
- Cheap – Inexpensive
- Maybe – Perhaps
- Fork out – Pay (money)
- Fall out – Quarrel
- Bright/smart – Intelligent
- Buy – Purchase
- Iron out – Solve/overcome
- Get out – Escape
- Okay, ok – Acceptable
- So – Therefore
- Look like – Resemble
- Go down – Decrease
- Let – Allow
- Block – Undermine
- Dad – Father
- Good for – Beneficial
- Coincide – Agree
- Get out – Escape
- Danger – Peril
- Come in – Enter
- Go up – Increase
- Childish – Immature
- Can – Is capable of
- Fork out – Pay (money)
- End – Terminate/ Finish
- Deal with – Manage
- Rack up – Accumulate
- Danger – Peril
- Explain – Disclose
- End – Terminate
- Also – In addition, additionally
- Ease – Facilitate
- Colloquialism – Slang
- Avoid – Evade
- Put off – Postpone
- Call off – Cancel
- Book – Reserve
- Ease – Facilitate
- Go after – Pursue
- Chance – Opportunity
- Challenge – Test
- Give – Donate
- Naked – Nude
- Check – Verify
- Arrangement – Agreement
- Want/ hope – Desire
- Thanks – Gratitude
- Break out – Erupt
- Big/Large – Enormous
- Say no – Reject
- Next/later – Subsequently
- Go – Depart
- Round – Circular
- Clear – Transparent
- Away – Absent
- Hit out at – Criticise
- Achieve – Accomplish
- Pick up – Collect
- Whole – Entire/Complete
- At Once – Immediately
- Hungry – Famished
- Assurance – Guarantee
- Lack – Deficiency
- Hurry – Haste, hasten
- Block – Undermine
- In the end – Finally
- See – Observe
- Dirty/ polluted – Contaminated
- Empty – Vacant
- Away – Absent
- Choose – Select
- Drop out of – Withdraw (from)
- Good looking – Attractive
- Start/ Begin – Commence
- Free – Liberate
- Take out – Remove
- Dirty/ polluted – Contaminated
- Use/Eat – Consume
- Give up – Quit
- Complex – Convoluted
- Death – Demise
- Mad – Insane
- Give – Provide
- Come up to – Reach/attain
- Get – Receive
- Stop – Cease
- Find out – Learn/Discover
- A Bit – A Little
- Go against – Oppose
- Appearance – Look
- Hurt – Damage, harm
- Clothes – Garment
- Bad – Negative
- Stop – Cease
- Fight – Combat
- Happy – Pleased
- Lead to – Cause
- Dim – Indistinct
- Fall out – Quarrel
- Live – Reside
- Ask For – Request
- Go away – Leave/ depart
- Go – Depart
- Older – Senior
- Go out of – Exit
- Deal – with Manage
- Lucky – Fortunate
- Leave out – Omit
- Again & again – Repeatedly
- Enjoyment – Gratification
- But – However
- Go against – Oppose
- Marvelous – Exceptional
- friendly – Amiable
- Set out – Display
- Empty – Vacant
- Wood – Timber
- Eager – Avid
- Say sorry – Apologies
- At once – Immediately
- Laid back – Relaxed
- Clothes – Garment
- Seem – Appear
- Get – Obtain
- Ask – Enquire
- Go out of – Exit
- Try – Endeavour
- Bad – Negative
- Over – At an end
- Dare – Challenge
- Characteristic – Trait
- Remove – Eliminate
- Childish – Infantile
- Come after – Follow
- Applicable – Relevant
- Go down – Decrease
- Go before – Precede
- Beat up – Assault
- Attainment – Achievement
- Show – Demonstrate
- Funny – Humorous, amusing
- Blow up – Explode
- Choice – Option
- Imagine – Envisage
- A lot of – Numerous
- Choose – Select
- Categorize – Classify
- Give out – Distribute
- Kidding – Jesting
- Break down – Fail/Collapse
- Available – Accessible
- Brave – Courageous
- Better – Improved
- Boss – Employer
- Eager – Avid
- Point out – Indicate
- Again & Again – Repeatedly
- Give out – Distribute
- Help – Assist
- Ask out – Invite
- Sweat – Perspiration
- Come up – to Reach/attain
- Friendly – Amiable
- Sight – Vision
- Avoid – Evade
- Go up – Increase
- Call off – Cancel
- Dare – Challenge
- Catch up – Understand
- Get away – Elude
- Boss – Employer
- Avoid – Evade
- Go ahead – Proceed
- Get – Obtain
- Ask for – Request
- Test – Experiment
- Go ahead – Proceed
- Childish – Infantile
- Apparent – Obvious
- Refer to – Consult
- Tired – Exhausted/ Fatigued
- But – However
- Speed up – Accelerate
- Acquire – Obtain
- Think of – Conceive
- Blow up – Explode
- A Lot Of – Numerous
- Here – Present
- Beat up – Assault
- Pay back – Repay
- At First – Initially
- Get away – Elude
- Annual – Yearly
- Build – Construct
- Hit out at – Criticise
- Build – Construct
- Show – Demonstrate
- Say – Express
- Idea – Notion
- In charge of – Responsible
- Explain – Disclose
- Advantageous – Beneficial
- Think about – Consider
- Hopeless – Futile
- Buy – Purchase
- Hopeless – Futile
- Compare – Contrast
- Go through – Examine
- Here – Present
- Complex – Convoluted
- Climb – Ascend
- Need – Require
- Afraid – Fearful
- Give up – Quit
- Small – Diminutive
- Enough – Sufficient
- Break off – Suspend/adjourn
- End – Terminate/ Finish
- Afraid – Fearful
- Mainly – Principally
- Enjoyment – Gratification
- End – Terminate
- Circumstance – Situation
- Break out – Erupt
- Stubborn – Obstinate
- Clear – Transparent
- Kids – Children
