Compound word List: A-E

A compound word occurs when two individual words join together to create a new word with its own meaning.

Types of Compound Words:

1. Closed Form: Words are written as a single word (e.g., backbone, bookworm).
2. Hyphenated Form: Words are joined with a hyphen (e.g., black-out).
3. Open Form: Words are written separately but function as a single idea (e.g., day break, eyesight test).

Why Use Compound Words in IELTS?

• Clarity: They express complex ideas in a concise way.
• Vocabulary Score: Using compound words naturally can impress examiners in Writing and Speaking.
• Variety: Helps avoid repetitive simple words in essays or speaking responses.

A

1. Anybody – Anybody who studies regularly can improve their IELTS score.
2. Alongside – The government built parks alongside urban housing projects.
3. Airborne – Airborne pollution affects city dwellers’ health.
4. Aftereffect – The aftereffect of population growth is often traffic congestion.
5. Aftertaste – The new policy left a bitter aftertaste for residents.
6. All-round – She is an all-round student excelling in reading and writing.
7. Aimless – Without planning, urban expansion can lead to aimless sprawl.
8. Awareness-raising – The campaign was important for awareness-raising about climate change.

B

1. Backbone – Teachers are the backbone of the education system.
2. Breakthrough – The scientist achieved a major breakthrough in renewable energy research.
3. Brainstorm – Students brainstorm ideas before writing essays.
4. Bookworm – Being a bookworm can improve your vocabulary significantly.
5. Bypass – The city built a bypass to reduce traffic in the center.
6. Breakdown – A breakdown in public transport can affect commuters.
7. Background – Candidates from a rural background may face challenges in education.
8. Budget-friendly – Many students look for budget-friendly accommodations near universities.

C

1. Crossbreed – The dog is a crossbreed, often healthier than purebreds.
2. Cost-effective – Installing solar panels is cost-effective in the long term.
3. City-dweller – A city-dweller often experiences more stress during rush hour.
4. Community-based – Community-based projects improve local engagement.
5. Crime-ridden – Urban planners must address crime-ridden neighborhoods.
6. Crowd-puller – The new museum has become a major crowd-puller for tourists.
7. Cycle-friendly – Governments are promoting cycle-friendly lanes in cities.
8. Customer-oriented – The library adopted a customer-oriented approach to encourage reading.

D

1. Daybreak – Commuters start their journey at daybreak to avoid traffic.
2. Deadline-driven – University students are often deadline-driven.
3. Densely-populated – Densely-populated cities face serious pollution problems.
4. Decision-making – Effective decision-making is essential for city management.
5. Double-edged – Social media is a double-edged tool for education.
6. Digital-friendly – Schools must adopt digital-friendly teaching methods.
7. Debt-ridden – Many students graduate from a debt-ridden financial situation.
8. Disaster-prone – Coastal cities are often disaster-prone, requiring early warning systems.

E

1. Elsewhere – If local universities are full, students may study elsewhere.
2. Environmental-friendly – Policies must encourage environmental-friendly transport.
3. Eye-catching – The new urban design included eye-catching landmarks.
4. Educationally-oriented – Programs should be educationally-oriented for skill development.
5. Evidence-based – Decisions should be evidence-based to avoid errors.
6. Ever-growing – The ever-growing population increases demand for housing.
7. Experience-driven – Modern teaching should be experience-driven rather than purely theoretical.
8. Economic-oriented – Policies must be economic-oriented to attract investors.