IELTS Speaking · Vocabulary · Topic
Health & Wellbeing vocabulary for IELTS Speaking
Last updated 21 July 2026
In short
Talk fluently about lifestyle, fitness, diet, and mental wellbeing. This collection gathers 23 high-value words for the health & wellbeing topic, each with a clear definition, example sentences and the collocations that make it sound natural in the IELTS Speaking test.
Word list
All 23 words in this collection, with meanings and example sentences.
- balanced diet
- A diet that contains the right proportions of the different food groups.
- “A balanced diet is key to staying healthy.”
- job satisfaction
- The sense of fulfilment and contentment a person feels about their work.
- “High pay doesn't guarantee job satisfaction.”
- nutritious
- Containing substances that are good for your health and help you grow.
- “A nutritious breakfast sets you up for the day.”
- prevention
- The action of stopping something from happening, especially disease.
- “Prevention is better than cure.”
- welfare
- The health, happiness, and general wellbeing of a person or group; state support.
- “The charity works for the welfare of children.”
- chronic
- (Of an illness or problem) persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
- “She suffers from chronic back pain.”
- epidemic
- A widespread occurrence of a disease, or a rapid rise in something harmful.
- “The country is battling a flu epidemic.”
- immunity
- The body's ability to resist a particular infection or toxin.
- “Vaccines build immunity against disease.”
- in moderation
- In amounts that are not excessive; within sensible limits.
- “Most things are fine in moderation.”
- under the weather
- Slightly unwell.
- “I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.”
- unwind
- To relax after a period of work or tension.
- “A holiday is the perfect chance to unwind.”
- wellbeing
- The state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy.
- “Employers are paying more attention to staff wellbeing.”
- burnout
- Physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or prolonged stress.
- “Long hours can lead to burnout.”
- cognitive
- Relating to the mental processes of thinking, learning, and understanding.
- “Early education supports children's cognitive development.”
- detoxify
- To remove harmful substances from the body or a system.
- “The liver helps to detoxify the blood.”
- detrimental
- Tending to cause harm or damage.
- “Plastic waste is detrimental to marine life.”
- holistic
- Dealing with the whole of something rather than its individual parts.
- “The school takes a holistic approach to a child's development.”
- rehabilitation
- The process of restoring someone to health or normal life through treatment or training.
- “Physical rehabilitation helped her walk again.”
- resilient
- Able to recover quickly from difficulties; tough and adaptable.
- “The economy proved surprisingly resilient.”
- sedentary
- Involving little physical activity; spending much time sitting down.
- “A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of heart disease.”
- susceptible
- Likely to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing.
- “Young children are especially susceptible to infection.”
- alleviate
- To make pain, suffering, or a problem less severe.
- “Painkillers can alleviate the symptoms.”
- recuperate
- To recover from illness, exhaustion, or a setback.
- “She went to the coast to recuperate after surgery.”
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Frequently asked questions
How can I remember health & wellbeing vocabulary for IELTS?
Use spaced repetition and active recall rather than rote lists: review each word with flashcards and quizzes at growing intervals, and practise saying it aloud in your own example sentences.
Do I need less common words to score Band 7+ in IELTS Speaking?
Yes. The Lexical Resource criterion rewards less common and idiomatic vocabulary used accurately, along with natural collocations and effective paraphrasing — not just a wide list of words.
How many words are in this collection?
This collection has 23 hand-picked words, each with a definition, pronunciation, example sentences, synonyms and collocations.
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