Vocabulary tool

Collocations & natural-sounding idioms

Collocations (words that travel together) are the fastest way to sound fluent. Idioms can help — but only if they fit. Avoid forcing them.

IELTSTOEFL

Interactive practice lab

Turn Collocations & natural-sounding idioms into active practice.

Short activities built directly from this vocabulary tool. Drag, decide, match, and recall until the language becomes usable.

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Reference library

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Use the full reference below when an answer in the practice lab feels uncertain.

Verb + noun collocations

Common

• make a decision
• take responsibility
• do research
• give an example
• raise awareness
• draw a conclusion

Stronger

• pose a challenge
• shed light on
• play a key role in
• strike a balance
• bridge a gap

Adjective + noun collocations

Common

• heavy traffic
• strong evidence
• key factor
• significant impact
• growing concern

Stronger

• far-reaching consequences
• double-edged sword
• thorny issue
• compelling argument
• vested interest

Adverb + adjective collocations

Polish

• highly likely
• deeply concerned
• widely recognised
• fundamentally different
• perfectly acceptable

Idioms that fit naturally in Speaking

Time & change

• it's been ages since …
• in the long run
• around the clock
• out of the blue

Effort & success

• bend over backwards
• pay off
• get the hang of it
• second nature

Idiom rules

One idiom per Part 2 cue card is plenty.
Never use an idiom you don't fully understand.
Avoid idioms in IELTS Writing — they sound informal.

Editorial details and primary sources

By FluentMock Editorial Team · Published 2026-06-13 · Updated 2026-06-28 · Official sources checked

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