This list was written by BandLadder's authors, Fizza Butool Zaidi and Ali Zaidi. The meanings and example sentences are our own, not taken from model answers or dictionaries.

12 words

Writing Task 2 vocabulary

Formal and neutral items that suit an essay. They work in Speaking too.

the music industry
The businesses that record, promote and sell music.
Streaming has transformed the music industry, shifting income from album sales to subscriptions.
streaming services
Online platforms that let users play music without downloading it.
Streaming services pay artists only a tiny amount each time a song is played.
musical heritage
The traditional music passed down within a culture.
Folk festivals help preserve a country's musical heritage.
cultural identity
The sense of belonging to a particular culture.
Traditional music plays an important role in shaping cultural identity.
copyright infringement
Using someone's creative work without permission.
Sharing songs illegally online is a form of copyright infringement.
music education
Teaching music, including singing and playing instruments.
Cuts to music education mean fewer state-school pupils learn an instrument.
cognitive development
The growth of a child's ability to think, learn and remember.
Some studies link learning an instrument with benefits for cognitive development.
live performances
Concerts where musicians play in front of an audience.
Many musicians now earn more from live performances than from recordings.
a universal language
Something understood by people from any culture.
Music is often called a universal language because it can move listeners who share no words.
mainstream
Accepted by or popular with most people.
Genres such as hip-hop have moved from the margins into the mainstream.
commercialisation
Organising something mainly to make a profit.
Critics argue that the commercialisation of pop music rewards formula over originality.
emotional well-being
A healthy, positive emotional state.
Listening to music can support emotional well-being during stressful periods.

Use music vocabulary in a Task 2 essay

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10 phrases

Speaking vocabulary

Natural spoken English for Parts 1 to 3. Items noted as informal or as an idiom belong in Speaking only, never in Task 2.

catchy
Easy to remember and pleasant to hear.
The chorus is so catchy that I can't stop humming it.
a music lover
Someone who really enjoys music.
I'm a huge music lover; I listen to something almost all day.
play by ear
To play music without reading notes, after hearing it.
My brother can play by ear; he hears a song once and plays it on the piano.
a gig
A live performance of popular music.
I go to a gig about once a month in a small venue near my flat.
Informal, mainly British.
have a good voice
To sing well.
My mother does have a good voice, but she's too shy to sing in public.
a playlist
A list of songs chosen to be played in order.
I've got a playlist for running and another one for studying.
background music
Music played quietly while you do something else.
I need some background music when I'm working, otherwise it's too quiet.
tone-deaf
Unable to hear the difference between musical notes.
I'm completely tone-deaf, so I'd never sing karaoke.
stuck in my head
Repeating in your mind and hard to forget.
That advert song has been stuck in my head all week.
an acquired taste
Something you only start to like after trying it several times.
Jazz was an acquired taste for me, but now I love it.

Writing Task 2

Use it in an answer

Some people think music and arts should be compulsory subjects at school. Others think students should focus on academic subjects. Discuss both views.

Those who favour compulsory music education argue that it develops discipline and creativity, and some studies suggest benefits for cognitive development, particularly when children learn an instrument early. Music also connects pupils with their musical heritage and cultural identity in a way that few other subjects can. On the other hand, timetables are limited, and parents worried about university entry may prefer more mathematics and science. A balanced approach would keep music compulsory in primary school and make it optional later.

Written by our authors to show the vocabulary in use; not an official IELTS sample.

Lexical Resource

How examiners judge this vocabulary

Vocabulary is scored as Lexical Resource, one quarter of your Writing and Speaking marks. At the higher bands the public IELTS band descriptors for Speaking mention “less common and idiomatic vocabulary”, together with awareness of style and collocation. In practice that means the right item in the right register: ‘the music industry’ in an essay, ‘catchy’ when you speak. Accuracy comes first; a misused advanced word costs more than a plain one used well.

Practise in context

Music questions to practise

Frequently asked questions

Is it fine to talk about music that is not famous?+

Yes. The examiner is not checking your taste. Describing a local band or a traditional style gives you more to explain, which usually produces better answers than naming a global star.

How do I answer Part 1 questions about musical instruments?+

If you don't play one, say which you would like to learn and why, or talk about someone who plays. 'I'd love to take up the guitar because I can't read music and I've heard some people play by ear' is a full, natural answer.

Can I use the Speaking phrases in Writing Task 2?+

Not the informal ones. Phrasal verbs and idioms such as 'a gig' sound natural in Speaking but are too casual for an essay, and Task 2 should have no contractions. Everything in the Writing list works in both papers.

Will learning these words raise my IELTS band?+

Not on their own, and no word list guarantees a band. Lexical Resource rewards vocabulary used precisely and naturally, so five items you can use correctly are worth more than twenty forced into an answer. Learn each one with its example, then write or say a sentence of your own.

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IELTS vocabulary for music