👇 Take this lesson with you! 👇
Table of Contents
If you’re preparing for the IELTS Speaking Test in 2025, you might be wondering: What topics will come up? Whilst some new topics alway appear, especially as society changes, the truth is, IELTS examiners still focus mostly on everyday themes.
This guide shows you some of the most common IELTS Speaking topics in 2025, with key collocations (words that go naturally together). Each collocation is explained, with a short example so you can start using it straight away.
👉 If you want to build your vocabulary faster, check out my course The Vocabulary Vault where I give you pronunciation, examples, and practice for hundreds of IELTS collocations.
Why Learn Collocations for IELTS Speaking?
In IELTS, vocabulary isn’t just about individual words. Collocations (natural word combinations) make your English sound more fluent and natural. It’s essential you use the correct collocations. For example:
❌ I make sport every day.
✅ I do exercise every day.
Learning these combinations not only improves your accuracy when speaking, it also increases you fluency. When you use collocations, you start to focus more on phrases and chunks, which helps you use vocabulary more quickly and easily.
All in all, leaning collocations is an essential step to help you reach Band 7+ in IELTS Speaking because examiners listen for vocabulary that sounds natural.
Topic 1: Health and Fitness
Exercise Vocabulary
- Doing exercise = taking part in physical activity.
- Working out = exercising in a gym.
- Going down the gym = going to a gym to exercise.
- Aerobic exercise = exercise that makes your heart and lungs work harder.
- Weightlifting = lifting heavy weights.
- Strength exercises = exercises to make muscles stronger.
- To get in shape = to become fit.
- To stay in shape = to remain fit.
Diet Vocabulary
- To go on a diet = to eat less or avoid some foods.
- To have a balanced diet = to eat the right amounts of different foods.
- Healthy food = food that is good for you.
- Homemade food = food cooked at home.
- Fast food = food prepared quickly.
- Junk food = unhealthy food, high in fat or sugar.
- Processed food = food changed with chemicals or machines.
- Ultra-processed food = food made with many artificial ingredients.
- Nutritional value = how healthy a food is.
Obesity Vocabulary
- An obesity epidemic = when many people are overweight.
- To be obese = to be very overweight.
- To be overweight = heavier than normal.
- To lead a sedentary lifestyle = to spend most of your time sitting.
- To be sick = to feel ill.
- Chronic diseases = illnesses that last a long time.
Wellbeing Vocabulary
- Physical and mental wellbeing = good health in body and mind.
- Self-care = actions to look after yourself.
- To be stressed out = to feel very worried or tired.
Topic 2: Work
Jobs Vocabulary
- Popular jobs = jobs many people want.
- Jobs for the future = jobs that will be important later.
- Robots and automation = machines doing human jobs.
- Job security = chance of keeping your job.
- The dynamics of the workplace = how people interact at work.
Career Vocabulary
- Career prospects = chances for success in a career.
- To take a career break = to stop working for a period.
- To take a sabbatical = a long break for study or travel.
- A change of career = moving to a different job area.
- To pivot career = to change direction of your career.
Salaries Vocabulary
- A wage = the money you earn.
- A white-collar job = office or professional work.
- A blue-collar job = physical or manual work.
- The gender pay gap = pay difference between men and women.
- Men–women equality = equal rights and opportunities.
Stress Vocabulary
- To de-stress = to relax after stress.
- To relieve stress = to reduce stress.
- To cope with stress = to deal with stress.
- A work–life balance = balance between job and personal life.
Topic 3: Technology
Types of Technology
- To encompass = to include many things.
- The digital divide = the gap between people who use technology and those who don’t.
- A digital native = a person who grew up with technology.
- A digital immigrant = someone who learned later in life.
- Digital nomad = someone who works online while travelling.
Internet Vocabulary
- To go online = to use the internet.
- To surf online = to look at websites without a plan.
- Online safety = being safe on the internet.
- Online privacy = keeping personal information safe.
- Data protection = keeping data safe from misuse.
- To be tech-savvy = to be good with technology.
Social Media Vocabulary
- A social media platform/app/site = a website or app for sharing.
- To scroll a feed = to move through posts.
- Brain rot = damage from too much useless content.
- Social media addiction = when you cannot stop using social media.
- Re-wiring our brains = changing how our brains work.
- Short attention span = not being able to focus for long.
Final Tips for IELTS Speaking 2025
- Learn topics, not just words – Think about what you will say about health, work, or technology.
- Use collocations naturally – As you start learning collocations, also try to use them in your answers.
- Practice out loud – The more you speak, the more natural it feels.
- Record yourself – Listen back and notice if your collocations sound natural.
Frequently Asked Questions
Health, work, and technology are among the most frequent topics.
Collocations are words that often go together naturally in English. For example, we say “strong coffee” but not “powerful coffee.” Using collocations makes your English sound more natural and closer to how native speakers talk.
Yes. Examiners are listening for natural speech with an awareness of style and collocation. Collocations such as “to stay in shape” or “to cope with stress” will make your speaking sound fluent and accurate.
Common examples include:
to do exercise
to have a balanced diet
to lead a sedentary lifestyle
to get in shape
to suffer from chronic diseases
These will help you answer questions about fitness, diet, and wellbeing in a natural way.
Focus on high-frequency topics, learn useful collocations, and practice speaking them out loud in your own answers.
Improve your Speaking Skills with this Free Course
Crack IELTS Speaking Part 1
Learn to Speak with Confidence in Part 1 of Your IELTS Test!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘It’s such a great course. I’ve learned so many usages for speaking part 1.’
Zu Htet
