Want to score really high in the IELTS Speaking section? If so, follow and learn these top 10 IELTS Speaking Idioms to sound more fluent and score band 7+. Remember, learning English idioms improves your proficiency and helps you express yourself in more interesting ways. If you are going to take the IELTS test, remembering and learning these 10 idioms will help you score 7 or above. It is worth noting that randomly memorizing English idioms can backfire easily. You could land on using expressions that are uncommon, outdated, or sound unnatural, and mind you, they might negatively affect your performance in the IELTS Speaking Test. Having a grip on these 10 idioms, which are the best English idioms for the IELTS speaking test. Let’s learn these idioms.
Top 10 IELTS Speaking Idioms to Score High in the Speaking Section
These are the best English idioms to improve IELTS speaking score. Thus, we have put together a list of some of the well-performing and most widely used English idioms. If you grip onto these common idioms, you may register your impact on the examiner. Let’s now check out the idioms with their meaning and examples.
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1 – (To) Bark Up the Wrong Tree
This English idiom means that one is pursuing a mistaken line of thought, making a wrong or false assumption, or directing his/her efforts and accusations toward the wrong person or place.
Example: “They think their colleague leaked the details of the project, but they are simply barking up the wrong tree; it was actually a system.”
2 – (To) Break the Ice
It is a popular English idiom that means to say or do something to relieve tension or overcome shyness when people meet for the first time. The purpose or the goal is to make an awkward or quiet room feel comfortable, relaxed, and friendly so that a conversation can start.
Example: “She tried to break the ice at her party by asking all and sundry (everyone) what they do for a living.”
3 – A Blessing in Disguise
This idiom refers to something that seems unlucky, bad, or unfortunate when it first occurs, but eventually leads to an unexpected and positive result. It shows/describes a hidden benefit within a seemingly negative situation.
Examples: “Losing my previous job was undoubtedly a blessing in disguise, since it pushed me to begin my own business.”
“Well, missing my train happened to be a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to bump into an old friend at the railway station.”
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4 – (To) Add Insult to Injury
This idiom is a common idiom and means to make a bad situation even worse.
Examples: “My vehicle gets a flat tire on the road in the middle of nowhere, and to add insult to injury, it begins raining all of a sudden.”
“Your wife ended up marrying you, and to add insult to injury, she immediately began dating your close friend.”
5 – Call it a Day
This idiom means to stop finishing or working on an activity for the remainder of the day. This idiom is used when one feels he or she has done enough, is tired, or wants to continue the task another time.
Examples: “We have finished all the required tasks, so let’s call it a day and go home now.”
“Well, guys, I have been staring at the laptop for hours and now cannot focus at all. I am going to call it a day.”
6 – Cut Corners
Cut Corners or (to) cut corners means performing a task or job in the easiest, cheapest, or fastest way possible. It typically involves ignoring rules, skipping required steps, or reducing standards, which often results in bad, poor quality, errors, or safety risks.
Examples: “Remember, to avoid cutting corners on testing the product, bugs will reach the final product.”
“The worst happened when he tried to cut corners by doing his own plumbing, and now he is suffering because there is a leak.”
7 – Go the Extra Mile
This is a widely used and famous English idiom that means to make a massive effort more than is expected or to do more than what is formally or legally required.
Examples: “My friend is always ready to go the extra mile to make sure a project or a duty gets completed perfectly and aptly.”
“A time-tested formula for success, always go the extra mile to impress your clients.”
8 – Hit the Nail on the Head
The meaning of this idiom is to be utterly right about something. The idiom is used when someone accurately describes the exact reason/cause of a problem or issue, aptly or completely summarizes a situation, or provides the right answer after others have missed the mark.
Examples: “I think Katherine hit the nail on the head when she said the new sales strategy is too complicated.”
“Michael hit the nail right on the head! That’s exactly why the printer keeps jamming.”
9 – Let the Cat Out of the Bag
This is the most popular and massively used English idiom that means to reveal or unzip a secret, usually prematurely or by mistake.
Examples: “Everything was planned perfectly for tonight’s party, but it was John who let the cat out of the bag.”
“We wanted to throw a big bash for our clients to impress them, but one of our employees let the cat out of the bag and spoiled the surprise.”
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10 – Once in a Blue Moon
It is a very common idiom that means something happens very rarely, or almost never. The placement of the idiom in a sentence is at the start, middle, or end.
Examples: “He lives abroad, so he only sees his parents once in a blue moon.”
“I eat fast food only once in a blue moon because I am suffering from a stomach problem.”
Are These Top 10 IELTS Speaking Idioms Worth Remembering?
Since these idioms are very popular and widely used in the IELTS Speaking section, remembering them can lead to higher scores. They are also recommended by the British Council for the IELTS Speaking Test.
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