IELTS Root Course

Pro

60 high-yield roots behind Band 7+ IELTS vocabulary. Build the lexical resource examiners reward.

72 lessons
Try Unit 1 free

Unit 1 is free · Pro unlocks every course ($20/mo or $49 lifetime)

IELTS rewards lexical resource — the range and precision of your vocabulary, and your ability to paraphrase. That vocabulary is not random: most Band 7+ words are built from a compact set of Latin and Greek roots. Sustain, maintain, and tenable are one root wearing three disguises.

This course covers the 60 roots with the highest IELTS-word density in our database, organized into 12 themed units. Every lesson teaches one root through its real IELTS words — the topic and argument vocabulary of Writing Task 2, Academic Reading, and Speaking Part 3 — and builds root-based synonym clusters you can paraphrase with. Each lesson ends with a quiz that retries your misses until you get everything right, and every unit closes with a review that contrasts easily-confused roots.

Unit 1 is free — try the full experience. Pro unlocks this course and every other — $20/mo or $49 lifetime (was $200), all future updates included.

Course outline

Unit 1

Place & Build

Free trial

The roots that set things up: st (stand), pos (put), sit (site), form (shape), tain (hold). Establish a position, sustain an argument, transform a system — the scaffolding of every Task 2 essay.

  1. ststand, set, place8 focus words
  2. posplace, put, set8 focus words
  3. sitsit, settle, be placed8 focus words
  4. formform, shape, appearance8 focus words
  5. tainhold, keep8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 2

Make & Cause

How things get made and driven: fac (make), gen (produce), act (do), man (hand), mod (measure, manner). Factors, generate, manufacture, modify — the vocabulary of cause and effect.

  1. facmake, do8 focus words
  2. genbirth, produce, kind8 focus words
  3. actdo, act, drive7 focus words
  4. manhand8 focus words
  5. modmeasure, mode, manner, limit8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 3

Say & Name

The vocabulary of communication: dic (say), log (word, study), nomin (name), sign (mark), script (write). Indicate, logical, nominate, significant, prescribe — how ideas get stated and recorded.

  1. dicsay, speak, declare; point out8 focus words
  2. logword, speech, reason; study of8 focus words
  3. nominname8 focus words
  4. signmark, sign, seal7 focus words
  5. scriptwrite, scratch8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 4

See & Select

Perceiving and choosing: vis (see), sp (look), lect (choose, read), part (part, share), ali (other). Evident, perspective, select, participate, alternative — weighing options in an argument.

  1. vissee, look8 focus words
  2. splook, observe, watch8 focus words
  3. lectchoose, pick, read, gather8 focus words
  4. partpart, divide, share8 focus words
  5. aliother, another8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 5

Come & Go

Motion and process: ced (go, yield), ven (come), it (go), gress (step), mov (move). Proceed, prevent, transit, progress, remove — trends and processes in Academic Reading.

  1. cedgo, yield, move8 focus words
  2. vencome, arrive8 focus words
  3. itto go, to walk8 focus words
  4. gressto step, walk, go8 focus words
  5. movmove8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 6

Carry & Send

Transport and transfer: fer (carry), port (carry), miss (send), tra (pull, drag), car (run, cart). Transfer, transport, transmit, extract, career — moving people, goods and information.

  1. fercarry, bear, bring8 focus words
  2. portcarry, bear8 focus words
  3. misssend, let go8 focus words
  4. trapull, drag, draw8 focus words
  5. carrun, flow; chariot, wheeled cart; carry8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 7

Turn & Fold

Change of direction: vers (turn), tort (twist), plic (fold), circ (circle), sequ (follow). Reverse, distort, complex, circumstance, consequence — how situations turn and follow on.

  1. versturn8 focus words
  2. torttwist, turn, wrench8 focus words
  3. plicfold, bend, layer8 focus words
  4. circcircle, ring, around8 focus words
  5. sequfollow8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 8

Take, Give & Lead

Holding and directing: cap (take), dit (give), serv (keep, serve), duc (lead), ject (throw). Capacity, tradition, conserve, conduct, project — agency and control in argument.

  1. captake, seize, hold8 focus words
  2. ditgive8 focus words
  3. servserve; keep, guard, watch over8 focus words
  4. duclead, conduct, guide7 focus words
  5. jectthrow, cast7 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 9

Stretch, Hang & Bind

Tension and closure: tend (stretch), pend (hang, weigh), clud (close), bar (bar), lig (bind). Extend, depend, conclude, barrier, obligation — how factors connect and constrain.

  1. tendstretch, extend8 focus words
  2. pendweigh, pay out, spend, hang8 focus words
  3. cludclose, shut, exclude7 focus words
  4. barbar, barrier; ban, prohibition7 focus words
  5. ligbind, tie8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 10

Life & Society

People and worth: viv (live), spir (breathe), medi (middle), dom (house, master), val (worth). Survive, inspire, media, domestic, evaluate — the social topics IELTS loves.

  1. vivlive, life8 focus words
  2. spirbreathe, spirit8 focus words
  3. medimiddle; heal8 focus words
  4. domhouse, master, rule, tame7 focus words
  5. valstrong, worth, value8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 11

Amount & Degree

Measuring and comparing: minu (small, lessen), maj (greater), par (equal), sim (same, like), ple (fill). Diminish, majority, compare, similar, complement — the language of data and trends.

  1. minusmall, less, diminish8 focus words
  2. majgreat, large8 focus words
  3. parprepare; equal; bring forth / appear8 focus words
  4. simlike, same, similar8 focus words
  5. plefill, full8 focus words
  6. Unit review
Unit 12

Flow, Touch & End

Movement and limits: flu (flow), tact (touch), pel (drive), fin (end, limit), vac (empty). Influence, contact, compel, define, vacant — forces, contact and boundaries in academic writing.

  1. fluflow; pour8 focus words
  2. tacttouch7 focus words
  3. pelpush, drive8 focus words
  4. finend, limit, boundary8 focus words
  5. vacempty8 focus words
  6. Unit review