Glossary · Word choice
What is lexical resource in IELTS?
Lexical resource is the IELTS criterion for the range and precision of your vocabulary — variety and accuracy, not big words for their own sake.
Lexical resource is one of the four IELTS Writing criteria. It measures how wide and accurate your vocabulary is: whether you can express ideas precisely, use less common words and collocations naturally, and avoid repetition and errors.
A high score doesn't come from forcing in rare words — it comes from choosing the right word, using natural word partnerships (collocations), and paraphrasing instead of repeating. A precise everyday word beats a fancy one used wrongly.
How markers see it
IELTS and TOEFL both reward range plus accuracy; misusing an ambitious word costs more than using a simpler, correct one.
See lexical resource on your own writing.
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