IELTS Lexicon by FCR Flashcards
Welcome to your new habit: Spaced-Repetition vocabulary practice. In this deck, you fill find words, phrases, idiomatic expressions, and more. These will surely come in handy in your quest for IELTS excellence. I have hand-picked all of the phrases and words contained with some essential contributions from your book. Practice by reading the word out loud. Afterwards, before pressing the ''reveal'' button, you can enunciate the following, each harder (but ultimately more rewarding) than the l
On the other hand, …
Synonyms (English): Conversely… / In contrast…
Synonyms (Spanish): Por otro lado… / En contraste…
“On the other hand, we must also consider the financial limitations that many countries face.”
“On the other hand, focusing too much on technology can reduce our attention to human factors.”
This happens because …
Synonyms (English): This occurs due to… / This takes place because of…
Synonyms (Spanish): Esto sucede porque… / Esto ocurre debido a…
“This happens because people often prioritize convenience over sustainability.”
“This happens because there’s a lack of proper communication between departments.”
One way of dealing with this is …
Synonyms (English): One possible approach is… / A way to handle this could be…
Synonyms (Spanish): Una forma de lidiar con esto es… / Una manera de manejar esto sería…
“One way of dealing with this is to implement a gradual change instead of a sudden overhaul.”
“One way of dealing with this is to focus on education and awareness, rather than legislation alone.”
Well, I think …
Synonyms (English): In my opinion, / From my perspective,
Synonyms (Spanish): Bueno, creo que… / En mi opinión…
“Well, I think the proposal has some merit, but it needs further refinement.”
“Well, I think we should focus on solutions that address both the immediate and long-term issues.”
If that happened, then …
Synonyms (English): If that were to occur, then… / If such a thing took place, then…
Synonyms (Spanish): Si eso ocurriera, entonces… / Si eso pasara, entonces…
“If that happened, then we would have to rethink our entire strategy.”
“If that happened, then we’d be facing a completely different set of challenges.”
To a certain extent, yes.
Synonyms (English): In part, yes / Up to a point, yes
Synonyms (Spanish): Hasta cierto punto, sí / En parte, sí
“To a certain extent, yes, I do agree, but we must also acknowledge the downsides.”
“To a certain extent, yes, but it’s not as simple as it appears on the surface.”
I completely disagree.
Synonyms (English): I totally disagree / I strongly oppose
Synonyms (Spanish): Estoy completamente en desacuerdo / Me opongo totalmente
“I completely disagree with the idea that technology alone can solve all our problems.”
“I completely disagree with the notion that everyone should follow the same career path.”
Actually, I think it depends on the situation / country / person.
Synonyms (English): In reality, I believe it varies based on the circumstances / To be honest, it’s conditional on the context
Synonyms (Spanish): En realidad, creo que depende de la situación / Honestamente, depende del contexto
“Actually, I think it depends on the situation; sometimes, flexibility is more important than precision.”
“Actually, I think it depends on the country’s specific regulations when it comes to environmental policies.”
It seems to me that there are 2 sides to consider.
Synonyms (English): It appears there are two perspectives to evaluate / I believe there are two aspects to think about
Synonyms (Spanish): Me parece que hay dos lados a considerar / Creo que hay dos aspectos que evaluar
“It seems to me that there are two sides to consider: the short-term impact and the long-term consequences.”
“It seems to me that there are two sides to consider: one is the cost, and the other is the potential benefit.”
Yes, I think that’s absolutely right.
Synonyms (English): Yes, I completely agree / Yes, that’s definitely correct
Synonyms (Spanish): Sí, creo que es absolutamente correcto / Sí, estoy completamente de acuerdo
“Yes, I think that’s absolutely right, especially when we consider the broader context.”
“Yes, I think that’s absolutely right. Your reasoning really ties everything together.”
I think I would probably have to say no.
Synonyms (English): I believe I’d have to decline / I would likely have to refuse
Synonyms (Spanish): Creo que tendría que decir que no / Probablemente tendría que rechazar
“I think I would probably have to say no, since the evidence doesn’t fully support the claim.”
“I think I would probably have to say no to that proposal, as it lacks practicality.”
Well, I think there are valid points for both.
Synonyms (English): In my opinion, both sides have merit. / From my perspective, both arguments hold value.
Synonyms (Spanish): Bueno, creo que ambos tienen puntos válidos. / Desde mi punto de vista, ambos argumentos son válidos.
“Well, I think there are valid points for both, but the real challenge lies in finding a balance between them.”
“Well, I think there are valid points for both sides, and perhaps the solution is somewhere in the middle.”
Oh no, not at all.
Synonyms (English): Absolutely not / Definitely not
Synonyms (Spanish): Claro que no / En absoluto
“Oh no, not at all. I think you’re doing a fantastic job with the presentation.”
“Oh no, not at all. That’s not what I was implying; I simply meant we should reconsider our approach.”
I can see your point, but …
Synonyms (English): I understand your argument, however… / I get where you’re coming from, but…
Synonyms (Spanish): Entiendo tu punto, pero… / Veo tu argumento, pero…
“I can see your point, but I think you’re overlooking the long-term effects.”
“I can see your point, but we must also consider the counterarguments before jumping to conclusions.”
As I mentioned earlier, …
Synonyms (English): As I stated before, … / Like I said earlier, …
Synonyms (Spanish): Como mencioné antes, … / Como dije anteriormente, …
“As I mentioned earlier, the environment plays a critical role in our well-being.”
“As I mentioned earlier, the cost of living is a significant factor in choosing where to settle.”
At the beginning I said …
Synonyms (English): Initially, I mentioned… / To start with, I pointed out…
Synonyms (Spanish): Al principio mencioné… / Para empezar, señalé…
“At the beginning I said we should focus on the bigger picture, and I still believe that’s key.”
“At the beginning I said the solution wouldn’t be simple, and look, here we are—still untangling it.”
Now, what else can I say?
Synonyms (English): Well, what more can I add? / So, how else can I put this?
Synonyms (Spanish): Ahora, ¿qué más puedo decir? / Entonces, ¿qué más puedo añadir?
“Now, what else can I say? It seems like we’ve covered every angle of this debate.”
“Now, what else can I say? If I keep going, I’ll start repeating myself!”
I’d just like to add something about …
Synonyms (English): I’d like to mention something regarding… / I’d like to bring up a point about…
Synonyms (Spanish): Me gustaría añadir algo sobre… / Quisiera mencionar algo acerca de…
“I’d just like to add something about the environmental impact; it’s often overlooked but critically important.”
“I’d just like to add something about teamwork. It’s not only about communication but also trust.”
One thing I forgot to mention …
Synonyms (English): One thing I neglected to say… / Something I failed to point out…
Synonyms (Spanish): Una cosa que olvidé mencionar… / Algo que olvidé señalar…
“One thing I forgot to mention is the need for clear deadlines in order to stay on track.”
“One thing I forgot to mention is that experience plays a huge role in how people handle stress.”
I couldn’t keep a straight face. (IDIOM)
Synonyms (English): I couldn’t stop myself from laughing / I couldn’t hold back my laughter
Synonyms (Spanish): No pude mantener la compostura / No pude aguantar la risa
“When he told the joke, I couldn’t keep a straight face—it was just too funny!”
“I tried to stay serious during the meeting, but I couldn’t keep a straight face when the speaker made that mistake.”
You can’t judge a book by its cover. (IDIOM)
Synonyms (English): Appearances aren’t everything / Don’t make assumptions based on looks
Synonyms (Spanish): No juzgues un libro por su portada / No juzgues a alguien por su apariencia
“You can’t judge a book by its cover—he may seem quiet, but he’s incredibly talented.”
“I’ve learned that you can’t judge a book by its cover; some of the most creative people dress quite casually.”
Actions speak louder than words. (IDIOM)
Synonyms (English): Deeds are more important than promises / What you do matters more than what you say.
Synonyms (Spanish): Las acciones valen más que las palabras / Los hechos hablan más fuerte que las palabras.
“Actions speak louder than words, so instead of just talking about change, let’s make it happen.”
“You can tell me all you want, but actions speak louder than words—show me what you can do.”
Appearances can be deceiving.
Synonyms (English): Looks can be misleading / First impressions aren’t always accurate
Synonyms (Spanish): Las apariencias engañan / Las apariencias pueden ser engañosas
“Appearances can be deceiving; that seemingly small company is actually a major industry player.”
“Appearances can be deceiving—just because something looks easy doesn’t mean it’s simple.”
Sorry, I meant to say … (REPAIR STRATEGY)
Synonyms (English): I apologize, I wanted to say… / My mistake, I intended to say…
Synonyms (Spanish): Perdón, quise decir… / Lo siento, quise decir…
“Sorry, I meant to say that the event is on Thursday, not Wednesday.”
“Sorry, I meant to say that the deadline is next week, not tomorrow.”
I honestly have no clue. (REPAIR STRATEGY)
Synonyms (English): I truly have no idea / I really don’t know
Synonyms (Spanish): Honestamente, no tengo ni idea / Sinceramente, no tengo ni la menor idea
“I honestly have no clue how to fix the problem, but I’ll do some research.”
“I honestly have no clue why the software isn’t working, but I’ll get the IT team on it.”
I’m sorry, could you repeat the question? (R.S)
Synonyms (English): Apologies, could you say the question again? / I didn’t catch that, could you repeat the question?
Synonyms (Spanish): Perdón, ¿podría repetir la pregunta? / Lo siento, ¿puedes decir la pregunta otra vez?
“I’m sorry, could you repeat the question? I didn’t quite hear the last part.”
“I’m sorry, could you repeat the question? I just want to make sure I understood correctly.”
I’m not really sure what you mean. (R.S)
Synonyms (English): I’m not entirely clear on what you’re saying / I’m a bit confused about what you’re trying to convey.
Synonyms (Spanish): No estoy muy seguro de lo que quieres decir / No entiendo bien a qué te refieres.
“I’m not really sure what you mean; could you explain that in more detail?”
“I’m not really sure what you mean, but I think I need a little more clarification to follow your point.”
I’ve never really thought about that before. (R.S)
Synonyms (English): I’ve never actually considered that / I’ve never given that much thought
Synonyms (Spanish): Nunca lo había pensado antes / No me lo había planteado antes
“I’ve never really thought about that before, but it’s an interesting perspective.”
“I’ve never really thought about that before; I’ll need to give it some consideration.”
To that aim, …
Synonyms (English): For that purpose,… / In order to achieve that,…
Synonyms (Spanish): Con ese objetivo,… / Con esa meta,…
“To that aim, we must allocate more resources to education and training.”
“To that aim, the company has implemented new policies to enhance productivity.”
So, that’s it, that’s how …
Synonyms (English): And that’s the way… / That’s how…
Synonyms (Spanish): Entonces, eso es, así es como… / Así es como…
“So, that’s it, that’s how the project will unfold over the next six months.”
“So, that’s it, that’s how we plan to solve the issue while staying within budget.”
You see, …
Synonyms (English): As you can see, … / Let me explain, …
Synonyms (Spanish): Verás, … / Como puedes ver, …
“You see, the problem is that we didn’t account for the weather conditions.”
“You see, the thing is that technology alone can’t solve this issue—we need human input too.”
x, … In order to … (Linking Word)
Synonyms (English): x, … So as to … / x, … With the goal of …
Synonyms (Spanish): x, … Para … / x, … Con el fin de …
“We need to increase our marketing efforts, in order to reach a wider audience.”
“I decided to take the extra course, in order to improve my skills in project management.”
To set out to do something
Synonyms (English): To aim to achieve something / To plan to accomplish something
Synonyms (Spanish): Proponerse hacer algo / Emprender algo
“She set out to do something meaningful with her life and ended up starting her own charity.”
“We set out to do something innovative, and I think we’ve succeeded with this new product line.”
Going forward, …
Synonyms (English): From now on, … / Moving forward, …
Synonyms (Spanish): A partir de ahora, … / En adelante, …
“Going forward, we should focus on sustainable solutions rather than short-term fixes.”
“Going forward, I’ll be more mindful of how I manage my time during the project.”
That is to say, … (repair strategy)
Synonyms (English): In other words, … / What I mean is, …
Synonyms (Spanish): Es decir, … / O sea, …
“That is to say, we need to invest more in renewable energy to meet global demands.”
“The plan was unsuccessful. That is to say, we need to reconsider our strategy from the ground up.”
In hindsight, …
Synonyms (English): Looking back, … / Reflecting on it, …
Synonyms (Spanish): En retrospectiva, … / Mirando hacia atrás, …
“In hindsight, I should have started studying for the IELTS exam much earlier.”
“In hindsight, it was a mistake to overlook the importance of teamwork in the project.”
Chances are that …
Synonyms (English): It’s likely that … / There’s a good chance that …
Synonyms (Spanish): Lo más probable es que … / Es probable que …
“Chances are that the economy will recover faster than expected after the recent downturn.”
“Chances are that we’ll see major changes in climate policy over the next few years.”
Altogether, … (Linking Word)
Synonyms (English): Overall, … / All in all, …
Synonyms (Spanish): En conjunto, … / En total, …
“Altogether, the project was a success, despite a few challenges along the way.”
“Altogether, it was a productive meeting, and we reached a clear consensus.”
Additionally, … (linking word)
Synonyms (English): Moreover, … / Furthermore, …
Synonyms (Spanish): Además, … / Adicionalmente, …
“Additionally, we need to consider the environmental impact of this proposal.”
“Additionally, I would suggest we focus on improving communication within the team.”
Therefore, … (linking word)
Synonyms (English): As a result, … / Consequently, …
Synonyms (Spanish): Por lo tanto, … / Así que, …
“Therefore, we should allocate more resources to education and training.”
“The data suggests a significant decline in sales; therefore, we must revise our strategy.”
In this case, … (linking Word)
Synonyms (English): In this scenario, … / In this instance, …
Synonyms (Spanish): En este caso, … / En esta situación, …
“In this case, I think it’s best to delay the project until we have more information.”
“In this case, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks.”
In fact, … (linking Word)
Synonyms (English): Actually, … / As a matter of fact, …
Synonyms (Spanish): De hecho, … / En realidad, …
“In fact, the new policy has already shown positive results in several regions.”
“In fact, I was just about to bring up that same point before you mentioned it.”
In THAT case, … (linking Word)
Synonyms (English): If that’s the case, … / If so, …
Synonyms (Spanish): En ese caso, … / Si ese es el caso, …
“In that case, we should reconsider our approach to solving the problem.”
“In that case, we might need to postpone the event until everything is in place.”
Even though, … (linking Word)
Synonyms (English): Although, … / Despite the fact that …
Synonyms (Spanish): Aunque, … / A pesar de que, …
“Even though the plan was risky, we decided to go ahead with it.”
“Even though I was tired, I managed to complete the entire task on time.”
To sum up … (linking Word)
Synonyms (English): In conclusion, … / To conclude, …
Synonyms (Spanish): Para resumir, … / En resumen, …
“To sum up, the benefits of remote working far outweigh the challenges.”
“To sum up, it’s clear that we need to make some adjustments to our current strategy.”
Similarly, … (linking word)
Synonyms (English): Likewise, … / In the same way, …
Synonyms (Spanish): De manera similar, … / Igualmente, …
“Similarly, other countries have adopted this approach with great success.”
“Similarly, the second proposal also focuses on sustainability and long-term benefits.”
Here’s my two cents. (Idiom)
Synonyms (English): Here’s my opinion. / Here’s what I think.
Synonyms (Spanish): Aquí está mi opinión. / Aquí está mi punto de vista.
“Here’s my two cents: I think we should focus on quality rather than quantity.”
“Here’s my two cents: If we don’t act now, we might regret it later.”
To zero in on sth
Synonyms (English): To focus on something / To target something
Synonyms (Spanish): Enfocarse en algo / Centrarse en algo
“We need to zero in on the root cause of the problem before offering solutions.”
“The report zeros in on the key areas where improvements can be made.”
…, as opposed to … (Contrast)
Synonyms (English): In contrast to … / Unlike …
Synonyms (Spanish): A diferencia de … / En contraposición a …
“We should aim for long-term success, as opposed to short-term gains.”
“The new model focuses on sustainability, as opposed to the old one, which emphasized cost reduction.”
In most cases, … (linking Word)
Synonyms (English): Typically, … / Usually, …
Synonyms (Spanish): En la mayoría de los casos, … / Generalmente, …
“In most cases, people prefer convenience over cost when making purchasing decisions.”
“In most cases, effective communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings.”
Down to earth (idiom)
Synonyms (English): Practical / Realistic
Synonyms (Spanish): Con los pies en la tierra / Realista
“Despite being a successful entrepreneur, she’s incredibly down to earth and approachable.”
“He’s very down to earth, always focusing on practical solutions rather than theoretical ideas.”
Go the extra mile (Idiom)
Synonyms (English): Put in extra effort / Go above and beyond
Synonyms (Spanish): Hacer un esfuerzo adicional / Ir más allá
“If you want to impress your boss, you’ll need to go the extra mile and deliver something truly remarkable.”
“She always goes the extra mile for her customers, making sure they are satisfied with every detail.”
Piece of cake (Idiom)
Synonyms (English): Easy / A breeze
Synonyms (Spanish): Pan comido / Muy fácil
“Don’t worry about the exam; with all your preparation, it’ll be a piece of cake.”
“Fixing that issue was a piece of cake for our tech team—they solved it in minutes.”
Perhaps …
Synonyms (English): Maybe … / Possibly …
Synonyms (Spanish): Tal vez … / Quizás …
“Perhaps we should consider other options before making a final decision.”
“Perhaps the delay is due to technical issues, but we need to investigate further.”
In other words, …
Synonyms (English): To put it differently, … / That is to say, …
Synonyms (Spanish): En otras palabras, … / Es decir, …
“In other words, we need to rethink our approach to achieve better results.”
“In other words, it’s essential to focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains.”
