The best free IELTS resources students

Resources for building the topic-specific vocabulary IELTS Writing and Speaking require and improving your overall vocabulary knowledge.

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   Free · Thai-made

   ClayLingua IELTS flashcard decks

   IELTS flashcard decks for every band. Each deck matches the topics that appear most frequently and have vocabulary based on real IELTS exams. Free to use with a daily review queue that spaces cards at the right interval so vocabulary sticks long-term rather than being crammed and forgotten.

   claylingua.com/flashcards

   Goal

   Start with learning 10-20 new cards a day to improve your vocabulary. Complete one deck before moving to the next.

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   Free

   Quizlet - IELTS vocabulary sets

   Large library of community-made IELTS vocabulary sets. Quality varies - search by topic (e.g. 'IELTS environment vocabulary') rather than generic 'IELTS words' sets. Best used for initial exposure to a new topic before production practice.

   quizlet.com/subject/ielts-vocabulary

   Goal

   Use topic-specific sets only. Avoid generic 'top 100 IELTS words' lists - they are not organised around how the exam is structured.

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   Free

   Magoosh IELTS vocabulary flashcards

   A curated set of high-frequency IELTS vocabulary with example sentences. Stronger than most community sets because every card includes the word used in context rather than just a definition. Available as a free PDF and as a mobile app.

   magoosh.com/ielts/ielts-vocabulary

   Goal

   Use as a supplement to topic-based decks. The example sentences make it easier to remember how to use each word, not just what it means.

IELTS examiners reward 'less common vocabulary used accurately' - which means collocations. These tools help you check that words go together the way native speakers actually use them. Thai has very flexible word-pairing rules; English does not.

1. 1
   Free

   freecollocation.com - Oxford Collocations Dictionary

   The Oxford Collocations Dictionary online. Enter any noun or verb and see the verbs, adjectives, and prepositions that naturally go with it in English. Essential after any writing or speaking practice session - look up the key words you used and check you chose the right collocations.

   freecollocation.com

   Goal

   After every writing session, identify three collocations you should have used but didn't. Write each one in a full sentence before the next session.

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   Free

   ozdic.com - collocation dictionary

   An alternative to freecollocation.com with a slightly different database. Good for cross-referencing when you want to confirm a collocation appears in more than one source before using it in an essay.

   ozdic.com

   Goal

   Use alongside freecollocation.com for verification, not as a replacement. If a collocation appears in both, it is safe to use.

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   Free · limited

   Ludwig.guru - sentence search engine

   Search any phrase and see how it is used in real published English sentences drawn from newspapers and academic sources. Useful for checking whether a phrase sounds natural before using it in your essay. The free tier allows a limited number of searches per day.

   ludwig.guru

   Goal

   Use when you are unsure whether a phrase is natural. If Ludwig returns zero results for your exact phrase, rewrite it.

Official and near-official practice tests at the real exam standard. Always use these under timed conditions - 40 minutes for Writing Task 2, no dictionary, no stopping. Reviewing wrong answers in detail is what most students skip and what matters most.

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   Free · Official

   British Council - free official practice tests

   Practice tests for all four skills written by the same organisation that produces the real exam. Reading and listening content matches the actual difficulty and question format Thai students sit on test day. The most reliable free source for full-skill timed practice.

   takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare/free-practice-tests

   Goal

   One full timed section per week under exam conditions. Every wrong answer gets reviewed - find the paraphrase in the audio or the exact line in the passage, write it out.

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   Free · Official

   Cambridge IELTS - official preparation materials

   Cambridge publishes sample test papers and preparation materials on their official site. Physical Cambridge IELTS books (1–18) are available at most Thai libraries and Chulalongkorn University's book centre. The gold standard for Reading and Listening practice at the real exam difficulty.

   cambridgeenglish.org/ielts/preparation

   Goal

   Work through Cambridge papers in order after exhausting British Council materials. Timed only - no stopping to look up words mid-test.

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   Free · Official

   IDP Thailand - free preparation course

   Included with every IDP test booking but used by almost no one. Covers all four skills and is directly aligned with IDP's own marking standards. Start with the diagnostic section to identify your weakest skill, then work through that module before the others.

   ielts.idp.com/thailand

   Goal

   Complete the diagnostic section first. Use the weakest-skill module as structured input before your next timed practice session.

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   Free

   ieltsonlinetests.com

   A large library of Reading and Listening practice tests with automatic scoring and answer explanations. Not official but closely modelled on the real exam format. Good for volume practice when you have worked through the official Cambridge and British Council papers.

   ieltsonlinetests.com

   Goal

   Use for Reading and Listening volume practice only. Do not use as your primary source - official materials come first.

Resources for practising IELTS Writing Tasks 1 and 2, and getting feedback on what you produce. Writing without feedback is the most common reason Thai students stop improving.

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   Free · Thai community

   ClayLingua Facebook group - writing feedback

   Post a paragraph or full essay and get feedback from other Thai students and teachers. Writing in public and receiving a real response is closer to exam conditions than silent self-study. Use it after every writing session - post one paragraph, read the correction carefully, and rewrite before moving on.

   facebook.com/groups/learnenglishclaylingua

   Goal

   Post one paragraph after every writing session. Read the correction and rewrite the paragraph before your next session - do not just read and move on.

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   Free

   ieltsliz.com - writing lessons and model answers

   300+ pages of free Writing Task 1 and Task 2 lessons, model answers, vocabulary by topic, and paraphrasing exercises - all mapped to the four marking criteria. Particularly strong for understanding which vocabulary patterns examiners reward versus which ones signal band 5. Read a topic lesson, then attempt the same question yourself before reading the model answer.

   ieltsliz.com

   Goal

   One topic lesson per week. Attempt the question before reading the model - then compare your vocabulary against it and note every collocation gap.

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   Free

   ielts-simon.com - lessons by a former IELTS examiner

   Simon is a former IELTS examiner. His free lessons focus on the specific language patterns examiners reward and the common mistakes that keep students at band 5–6. Particularly strong for Writing Task 2 essay structure, topic sentences, and understanding what band 7 coherence actually looks like.

   ielts-simon.study

   Goal

   Use for Task 2 structure and topic sentence practice. Read one lesson per week and immediately write a paragraph applying the pattern covered.

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   Free · Official

   Cambridge Write & Improve

   Cambridge's AI-powered writing feedback tool. Submit a piece of writing and receive instant automated feedback aligned to IELTS marking criteria. Not a replacement for human feedback but useful for quick grammar and vocabulary range checks between proper practice sessions.

   writeandimprove.org

   Goal

   Use between human feedback sessions for quick turnaround. Always follow up with a human review - AI feedback misses collocation errors and register issues.

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   Free

   IELTS Advantage - free Task 2 essay question bank

   A large bank of real and recent Task 2 essay questions organised by type - opinion, discussion, problem/solution, two-part. Useful for building a practice schedule that covers every question type systematically rather than repeating the same type by accident.

   ieltsadvantage.com/writing-task-2

   Goal

   Use to build a 4-week essay practice schedule - one essay per week, covering a different question type each time.

Speaking is the skill Thai students most often under-prepare for. These resources cover question banks, model answers, and ways to get real feedback on your spoken English before test day.

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   Free

   ieltsliz.com - speaking lessons and topic vocabulary

   Part 1, 2, and 3 question banks with model answers and topic vocabulary. Strong for understanding what examiners are listening for at each part of the test and which vocabulary patterns improve your Lexical Resource score in Speaking.

   ieltsliz.com/ielts-speaking

   Goal

   Use Part 2 cue cards as timed practice - speak for 2 minutes, record yourself, then compare your vocabulary against the model answer.

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   Free

   IELTS Speaking Topics - current exam cycle questions

   Community-maintained lists of Part 1, 2, and 3 questions from recent exam sittings in Thailand and Southeast Asia, updated each exam cycle. Use these as your primary source for timed speaking practice - record yourself answering each question, then listen back and note where you hesitated or repeated vocabulary.

   ieltsmaterial.com/ielts-speaking-topics

   Goal

   Record one Part 2 answer per day. Listen back and count how many distinct vocabulary words you used versus repeated. Aim to increase range each session.

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   Free · limited

   ELSA Speak - pronunciation feedback

   AI-powered pronunciation feedback app. The free tier gives feedback on individual sounds and sentence-level pronunciation. Useful for Thai learners who want specific feedback on sounds that do not exist in Thai - /v/, /th/, and final consonants are the most common problem areas. Not a substitute for fluency practice.

   elsaspeak.com

   Goal

   Use for 10 minutes per day on your specific problem sounds. Identify your top three problem areas first and focus there rather than working through the app in sequence.

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   Free

   italki - free language exchange for speaking practice

   italki's community feature allows you to find free language exchange partners - English speakers who want to learn Thai in exchange for conversation practice. One structured speaking exchange per week using recent IELTS Part 3 questions is worth more than hours of solo preparation.

   italki.com/community

   Goal

   Find one exchange partner and commit to weekly sessions. Use recent Part 3 questions as your topic - this gives both partners a structured conversation rather than unstructured small talk.

IELTS Academic Reading rewards speed and precision. These resources provide practice at the right difficulty level and build the skimming and scanning techniques Thai students are rarely taught explicitly.

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   Free · Official

   British Council - free reading practice tests

   Official reading practice tests at real exam difficulty. Always review every wrong answer after a session - find the exact sentence in the passage that contains the answer. This review step is what most students skip and is where most improvement comes from.

   takeielts.britishcouncil.org

   Goal

   One timed section per week. Every wrong answer: locate the exact line, write it out, understand why the correct answer is there. Do not just check and move on.

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   Free · limited

   The Economist - academic reading practice

   IELTS Academic Reading passages are written at a similar level to The Economist - formal, dense, argument-driven. Reading one article per day builds the vocabulary range and reading stamina that practice tests alone do not develop. A limited number of free articles are available per month without a subscription.

   economist.com

   Goal

   One article per day on an IELTS topic - technology, environment, education, economics. Note unfamiliar collocations as you read, not just individual words.

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   Free

   ieltsonlinetests.com - reading practice

   A large bank of reading practice tests with detailed answer explanations. Use for volume practice once you have worked through the official Cambridge and British Council papers. The explanations for wrong answers are particularly useful for understanding why a distractor looks correct.

   ieltsonlinetests.com

   Goal

   Use for Reading volume practice only - after official materials are exhausted. Read every answer explanation, not just the ones for wrong answers.

IELTS Listening uses multiple accents - British, Australian, American, and occasionally Canadian. Most Thai students only practise with one. These resources cover the full range and build the ear for natural speech rhythm the exam requires.

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   Free · Official

   British Council - free listening practice tests

   Official listening tests at real exam difficulty with a range of accents. After each section, find the exact paraphrase used in the audio for every question you got wrong - this is the most important review step for improving Listening scores and the one most students skip.

   takeielts.britishcouncil.org

   Goal

   One timed section per week. Every wrong answer: replay the audio, find the paraphrase, write it out. Understanding why an answer is correct prevents the same mistake next time.

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   Free

   BBC Learning English

   Daily audio and video content in natural British English across a range of topics. 6 Minute English and The English We Speak are particularly useful - short, topic-focused, and pitched at intermediate-to-advanced level. Regular listening builds the ear for natural speech rhythm that IELTS Listening Sections 3 and 4 require.

   bbc.co.uk/learningenglish

   Goal

   One short episode per day - 6 Minute English is the most time-efficient. Note two or three new collocations per episode and write a sentence using each one.

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   Free

   TED Talks - academic English listening

   TED Talks are pitched at a similar level to IELTS Listening Section 4 - academic, monologue-format, with no visual support needed to follow the argument. Watch one 15-minute talk per week on a topic that appears in IELTS and note vocabulary as you listen.

   ted.com

   Goal

   One talk per week on an IELTS topic. Before watching: predict five vocabulary words you expect to hear. After: check how many appeared and note the ones you missed.

Thai-language IELTS instruction removes the language barrier that slows many students at band 4–5. These channels explain criteria, common mistakes, and scoring patterns in Thai so you understand why an answer is wrong, not just that it is.

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   Free · Thai

   ครูพี่แอน - IELTS YouTube channel

   Explains IELTS criteria, common mistakes, and writing and speaking techniques in Thai. Strong for band 4–5 students who need to understand the marking system before they can improve within it. Watch one topic video, note the vocabulary and collocations highlighted, then write sentences using them before moving to the next video.

   youtube.com/@KruPAnn

   Goal

   One topic video per session. Extract five collocations or phrases highlighted in the video, write five original sentences using them in the same sitting.

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   Free · Thai · IDP Certified

   IELTS for Thai (อ.อิม) - free YouTube lessons

   อ.อิม is an IDP IELTS Certified Partner and one of the most referenced IELTS teachers on Pantip. Free lessons cover all four parts with topic-specific vocabulary and writing structures. Particularly strong for Writing Task 2 collocations by topic. Attempt the question yourself first - then watch the model answer and note every collocation gap.

   youtube.com/@IELTSforThai

   Goal

   One topic lesson per week. Attempt the question before watching - then compare your answer against the model and list every collocation you missed.

International IELTS YouTube channels with examiner-level insight. Best used once you are confident enough to learn from English-medium instruction - typically band 5.5 and above.

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   Free

   IELTS Liz - YouTube

   One of the most-subscribed IELTS channels. Strong for Writing Task 2 structure, vocabulary range, and understanding band descriptors at a granular level. Liz is a specialist IELTS teacher whose lessons are directly mapped to the four marking criteria.

   youtube.com/@ieltsliz

   Goal

   Use for Writing Task 2 structure and band descriptor understanding. Watch one lesson per topic and immediately attempt the same question type yourself.

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   Free

   IELTS Ryan - YouTube

   Focused on high-band vocabulary, paraphrasing techniques, and essay structure for Writing Task 2. Good for band 6 students targeting band 7 - the vocabulary and paraphrasing focus is directly relevant to Lexical Resource improvement at that level.

   youtube.com/@IELTSRyan

   Goal

   Use specifically for Lexical Resource improvement at band 6–7. Note the paraphrasing techniques covered in each video and practise applying them to your own essays.

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   Free

   IELTS Advantage - YouTube

   Run by former IELTS examiners. Particularly strong for Speaking Part 2 and 3, and for understanding the difference between band 6 and band 7 answers at the descriptor level. The examiner perspective makes the feedback more precise than most YouTube IELTS content.

   youtube.com/@IELTSAdvantage

   Goal

   Use for Speaking Part 2 and 3 preparation. Watch one model answer video, record yourself answering the same question, then compare against the examiner commentary.

Communities where you can post writing, get corrections, ask questions, and learn from other students' mistakes. Peer feedback is free, fast, and often more direct than waiting for a teacher.

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   Free · Thai community

   ClayLingua IELTS English Learning - Facebook group

   Thai IELTS learners asking questions, sharing writing attempts, and getting feedback from other students and teachers. One of the most active Thai IELTS communities online. Post a sentence or paragraph after every vocabulary or writing session and read the corrections carefully before your next session.

   facebook.com/groups/learnenglishclaylingua

   Goal

   Post one sentence or paragraph per week using vocabulary from your current study topic. Read corrections carefully and rewrite the paragraph before moving on.

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   Free · Thai

   Pantip IELTS community

   Where Thai students share real score reports, describe which resources moved their band, and ask for tutor recommendations. Search 'IELTS [your current band] → [target band]' before committing to any new resource or course. High signal-to-noise ratio because posters share real scores, not affiliate links.

   pantip.com/tag/IELTS

   Goal

   Before committing to any new resource, search Pantip for posts from people at your current band targeting your goal band. Read at least five recent posts.

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   Free · International

   r/IELTS - Reddit community

   The largest international IELTS community. Useful for score report threads, resource recommendations from people who have recently tested, and Writing Task 2 feedback from other students. Search your target band before posting to find the most relevant threads and advice.

   reddit.com/r/ielts

   Goal

   Search your target band score in the subreddit before asking a question - most questions from Thai students have already been answered in detail.

IELTS Writing is marked on Grammatical Range and Accuracy. These resources help you identify and fix the grammar patterns that hold Thai students back - particularly articles, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and relative clauses.

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   Free

   Perfect English Grammar

   Clear explanations and exercises for every English grammar point, organised by category. Particularly useful for the areas Thai learners lose most marks on: articles (a/an/the), passive voice, conditional structures, and relative clauses. Free exercises include full answer keys.

   perfect-english-grammar.com

   Goal

   Identify your two weakest grammar areas from your writing feedback. Work through one topic per week - explanation, then exercises, then apply it in a new paragraph immediately.

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   Free · Official

   British Council - LearnEnglish grammar

   Grammar explanations and practice exercises from the British Council, graded by level from A1 to C1. Strong for intermediate learners (B1–B2) who need to consolidate grammar before moving to IELTS-level accuracy. Each section includes a test that shows exactly which points need more work.

   learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar

   Goal

   Take the level test first to identify which grammar sections to prioritise. Work through those sections before moving to higher-level material.

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   Free

   English Grammar in Use - Raymond Murphy

   The reference grammar most used by IELTS teachers worldwide. The physical book is widely available in Thailand; many of the exercises are also accessible free online. Covers every grammar point from B1 to C1 with clear explanations and immediate practice exercises.

   cambridge.org/english-grammar-in-use

   Goal

   Work through units that correspond to errors flagged in your writing feedback. Apply each unit to a new paragraph immediately - do not study grammar in isolation from writing.

Tools for identifying your current level, understanding where you are losing marks, and tracking progress over time. Most students skip diagnostics entirely and end up practising the wrong things for months.

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   Free · Thai-made

   ClayLingua Band Score Predictor

   A free tool that identifies which predicts what band you will achieve based on your current band scores, study hours, time and other factors.

   claylingua.com

   Goal

   Complete the diagnostic before starting any flashcard deck. Use the results to decide which topic deck to start with.

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   Free · Official

   IDP free preparation diagnostic

   The IDP free preparation course includes a diagnostic section covering all four skills. Completing this before starting your preparation gives you a baseline score and tells you which skill module to prioritise first.

   ielts.idp.com/thailand

   Goal

   Complete the IDP diagnostic at the start of your preparation and again four weeks in. Use the gap between results to adjust your study schedule.

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   Free · Official

   British Council - band score guide

   The official guide to what each band score means and what examiners look for at each level across all four skills. Essential reading before you start practising - knowing what band 6 and band 7 look like at the descriptor level changes what you notice in your own writing and speaking.

   takeielts.britishcouncil.org/teach-ielts/test-information/assessment

   Goal

   Read the descriptors for your current band and your target band before your first practice session. Return to them every two weeks to recalibrate what you are aiming for.

For students who want structured feedback and a personalised study plan rather than self-study. A good tutor tells you exactly what to fix - which is faster than working it out from resources alone.

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   Paid · Thai-made

   ClayLingua - IELTS tutors (Thai and international)

   ClayLingua connects Thai IELTS students with tutors who specialise in moving students from a specific current band to a specific target band. Tutors are available in Thai and English. Trial sessions available so you can find the right fit before committing.

   claylingua.com/tutors

   Goal

   Book a diagnostic session first - not a topic lesson. The right tutor will tell you exactly what to fix before the next session.