Do I need to use idioms to get a high IELTS Speaking score?

Using idioms can enhance your lexical resource, but they are not mandatory. The key is to use them naturally and correctly rather than forcing them into every response.

How many idioms should I use in the IELTS Speaking test?

Ideally, using one or two well-placed idioms per response is enough. Overusing idioms can make your speech sound unnatural.

What happens if I use an idiom incorrectly?

Incorrect usage of idioms may confuse the examiner and impact your fluency score. It’s better to use simpler vocabulary correctly than to misuse idioms.

Can I use idioms in the IELTS Writing test?

Idioms are generally not recommended for IELTS Writing, especially in Academic Writing, as the tone needs to be formal.

What are the best ways to practice idioms for IELTS Speaking?

The best way to practice idioms is by learning them in context, grouping them by topic, using them in real conversations, and incorporating them into mock speaking answers.

65 Most Common Idioms for IELTS Speaking 2025

Imagine walking into your IELTS Speaking test, feeling confident and fluent, effortlessly using natural expressions that impress the examiner.

One of the key factors that can boost your Speaking band score is your ability to use idiomatic language effectively. Idioms add flair, authenticity, and fluency to your responses, making your English more natural and engaging.

However, simply memorising idioms for IELTS Speaking won’t guarantee success.

The key is to use them correctly and naturally in the right context.

Overusing idioms or forcing them into conversations can hurt your score. That’s why, in this blog, we’ll cover idioms to use in IELTS Speaking, their meaning with examples and how you can use them.

65 Most Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking

Incorporating idioms into your speech can significantly enhance your performance in the IELTS Speaking test, as it demonstrates a strong command of English and the ability to use language naturally.

Below is a curated list of 65 most common idioms for IELTS speaking, along with their meanings and example sentences, to help you prepare effectively:

Idiom	Meaning	Example
A blessing in disguise	A good thing that seemed bad at first	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; it pushed me to pursue my true passion.
Beat around the bush	Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable	Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you think.
Bite the bullet	To force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult	I decided to bite the bullet and start my own business.
Break the ice	To initiate conversation in a social setting	He told a joke to break the ice at the beginning of the meeting.
Burn the midnight oil	To work late into the night	She burned the midnight oil to finish her assignment on time.
Caught between a rock and a hard place	Facing a difficult decision with two unfavourable options	I was caught between a rock and a hard place, as I had to choose between a pay cut or losing my job.
Cut corners	To do something most easily or cheaply, often sacrificing quality	They cut corners to meet the deadline, resulting in a subpar product.
Devil's advocate	To argue the opposite side for the sake of debate	I played devil's advocate to challenge her assumptions.
Every cloud has a silver lining	There is something good in every bad situation	Even though I failed the exam, I learned where I must improve. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Hit the nail on the head	To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem	You hit the nail on the head when you said, lack of preparation caused the failure.
Let the cat out of the bag	To reveal a secret unintentionally	She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Once in a blue moon	Something that happens very rarely	He visits his hometown once in a blue moon.
Piece of cake	Something is very easy to do	The test was a piece of cake for me
Speak of the devil	When the person you are talking about appears unexpectedly	Speak of the devil, here comes John now.
The ball is in your court	It is up to you to make the next decision or take action	I've done all I can; now the ball is in your court.
Under the weather	Feeling ill	I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.
A dime a dozen	Something is very common and not special	Fast-food restaurants are a dime a dozen in this city.
Bite off more than you can chew	To take on a task that is too big	I bit off more than I could chew by accepting that extra project.
Break the bank	To be very expensive	Buying a new car would break the bank right now.
Call it a day	To stop working on something	Let's call it a day and finish the rest tomorrow.
Cut to the chase	To get to the point without wasting time	Let's cut to the chase and discuss the main issue.
Easy does it	To slow down and proceed with caution	Easy does it; there's no need to rush.
Get out of hand	To become uncontrollable	The party got out of hand after midnight.
Hit the sack	To go to bed	I'm exhausted; it's time to hit the sack.
In the nick of time	Just in time; at the last possible moment	We arrived at the station in the nick of time to catch the train.
Jump on the bandwagon	To join others in doing something that is currently popular	She jumped on the bandwagon and started using that new app everyone was talking about.
Kill two birds with one stone	To accomplish two tasks with one action	By studying on the train, I killed two birds with one stone.
Let sleeping dogs lie	To avoid mentioning a subject or situation that could cause trouble	I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up the argument again.
Miss the boat	To miss an opportunity	I didn't apply in time and missed the boat on that job.
On the ball	To be alert and aware of things	The new manager is really on the ball.
Pull someone's leg	To joke or tease someone	Don't worry about what he said; he's just pulling your leg.
See eye to eye	To completely agree with someone	We don't always see eye to eye on politics.
Sit on the fence	To remain neutral and not take sides	He sat on the fence during the debate and didn't offer his opinion.
Steal someone's thunder	To take attention away from someone else's achievements	She stole my thunder by announcing her promotion right after I announced mine.
Take it with a grain of salt	To not take something too seriously	I heard the news, but I'll take it with a grain of salt until it's confirmed.
The best of both worlds	A situation where you can enjoy the advantages of two different things	Working from home offers the best of both worlds: comfort and productivity.
Time flies when you're having fun	Time seems to pass quickly when you are enjoying yourself	I can't believe it's already midnight; time flies when you're having fun.
Up in the air	Uncertain or undecided	Our vacation plans are still up in the air due to the pandemic.
Your guess is as good as mine	I have no idea	Will it rain tomorrow? Your guess is as good as mine.
Actions speak louder than words	What someone does is more important than what they say	He keeps promising to help, but actions speak louder than words.
Add fuel to the fire	To make a bad situation worse	His sarcastic comments only added fuel to the fire during the argument.
Barking up the wrong tree	To pursue a mistaken or misguided line of thought	If you think I'm the one who broke the vase, you're barking up the wrong tree.
Break the ice	To make people feel more comfortable	The host broke the ice with a funny story.
Burn bridges	To destroy relationships	He decided to burn his bridges with his old friends by joining a rival group.

To enhance your IELTS preparation, book a call with Yocket Prep experts for personalized advice, expert tips, and tailored strategies.

10 Most Common Idioms to Help You in the IELTS Speaking Exam

Now that you've explored a wide range of idioms for the IELTS Speaking exam, let’s focus on a few that are commonly used and can make your responses sound more natural. Here are the top 10 idioms to effortlessly enhance your answers.

A blessing in disguise - Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be beneficial.
Bite the bullet - To endure a difficult situation bravely.
Break the ice - To start a conversation and make people feel comfortable.
Burn the midnight oil - To work late into the night.
Hit the nail on the head - To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
Let the cat out of the bag - To accidentally reveal a secret.
Once in a blue moon - Something that happens very rarely.
Piece of cake - Something very easy to do.
Speak of the devil - When the person you are talking about appears unexpectedly.
The ball is in your court - It’s your turn to take action or make a decision.

Do Idioms Improve Your IELTS Speaking Score?

Yes, using idioms can improve your IELTS Speaking score but only when used correctly and naturally. The IELTS Speaking test assesses your fluency, coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, and pronunciation. Idioms fall under lexical resource, which means they can help demonstrate a strong IELTS vocabulary and natural language use.

To maximise their impact, practice incorporating common idioms into your speech. Avoid overusing them or using complex idioms that feel out of place. A well-placed idiom can add fluency but too many can make your response sound unnatural.

How to Use Idioms During the Speaking Test?

Idioms can make your speech sound more fluent and engaging, but they should be used mindfully. Here are five important rules to follow when using idioms in your speaking test:

Use Idioms Naturally, Not Forced: Idioms should fit smoothly into your conversation, rather than being inserted unnaturally. Examiners can easily tell when a phrase is memorised or forced into an answer.
Choose Commonly Used Idioms: It’s best to stick to idioms that natives frequently use in daily conversations. Overly complex or outdated idioms may sound unnatural.
Avoid Overusing Idioms: Using too many idioms in one response can make your speech sound forced and rehearsed. It’s better to use one or two well-placed idioms rather than trying to include multiple in every sentence.
Practice Using Idioms in Mock Answers: Before the exam, practice incorporating idioms naturally into responses for common IELTS Speaking questions.
Focus on Pronunciation and Context: When using an idiom, ensure you fully understand its meaning and correct pronunciation. If you are unsure about how to use an idiom, it is better to avoid it rather than use it incorrectly.

How to Practice Idioms for IELTS?

Looking to practice idioms for IELTS? Here are some practical tips to help you master them.

Learn Idioms in Context

Memorising idioms without understanding their meaning and proper usage can lead to mistakes in the IELTS Speaking test. Instead of just learning the definition, read and listen to idioms in real conversations, news articles, or TV shows.

Group Idioms by Topics

Practising idioms by themes such as education, work, travel, or health makes them easier to recall during the exam. If discussing a busy schedule, idioms like "burning the midnight oil" or "having too much on my plate" will come in handy.

Organising idioms in this way allows you to match them with relevant speaking topics more effectively.

Use Idioms in Daily Conversations

Speaking with friends, family, or language partners using idioms in real-life situations helps reinforce them naturally. If discussing a successful project, casually mentioning "we hit the nail on the head" will make it easier to recall similar phrases during your IELTS test.

The more you use idioms in daily speech, the more comfortable you’ll become with them.

Practice with IELTS-Style Questions

Answering common IELTS Speaking questions while consciously incorporating idioms will improve fluency. For example, if asked about handling stress, saying “I take one step at a time when I have too much on my plate” sounds more natural than memorising idioms separately.

Recording your responses and listening for smoothness can also help refine your usage.

Write Short Stories or Sentences Using Idioms

Writing idioms in your sentences or creating short stories using them will reinforce their meaning and application. If practising idioms related to challenges, writing a paragraph about overcoming obstacles with phrases like "turning over a new leaf" or "weathering the storm" will solidify understanding.

Seeing idioms in writing strengthens recall for speaking.

From the Desk of Yocket

Using idioms and natural expressions can make a significant difference in your fluency and lexical resource, but only when used correctly. That's why we recommend practising idioms in context, applying them in real conversations, and using them strategically in your responses.

Our experts at Yocket Prep provide personalized IELTS guidance, mock speaking tests, and exclusive study materials to help you use idioms naturally and confidently. With the right practice and approach, you can boost your IELTS Speaking score and improve your overall English proficiency.