Level B2 (approx. band 5.5-6.5) · Academic and General Training Many learners believe that a longer, rarer word always earns a higher band. So they write "The populace utilises vehicular transportation" instead of "People use cars". They open a thesaurus, a list of similar words, and swap. In this episode: • Why thesaurus swapping lowers bands • Filter one: register • Filter two: connotation • Filter three: precision • Model • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key points: • a rare word in the wrong place costs more than a common word in the right place. • match the word to the reader and the task. • before you use a synonym, ask whether it feels positive, neutral or negative. • the precise word is usually shorter, clearer and higher scoring. IELTS Complete Course: a self-study podcast from A1 to C2 for Academic and General Training. Listen, pause and answer, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair. Independent course, not affiliated with the IELTS test owners.