Vocabulary and Sample Answers for IELTS Speaking Topic Hobbies Part 1, 2, 3

Hobby is a very familiar topic in the IELTS test. However, to master this topic, students/test takers still need to equip themselves with a sufficiently diverse vocabulary to express themselves fluently across various aspects of this topic. As a result, they will be better prepared when asked about deeper sides of the issue.

The hobby topic is not difficult, but in reality, there are countless hobbies in life, each with very different characteristics and traits. Therefore, the vocabulary for this topic is extensive, while also requiring test takers to have sufficient background knowledge about various hobbies in life. Especially in Part 3, when candidates need to analyze and express views on multiple aspects of the issue.

Let’s join Cô Thuý to explore vocabulary, study common questions, and look at sample answers for this familiar topic.

Good vocabulary & structures for the IELTS Speaking hobbies topic

When talking about physical hobbies/games, students can use the following vocabulary:

• archery – the sport of shooting arrows with a bow – archery
• ice skating – skating on ice – ice skating
• skateboarding – the sport of skating on a skateboard – skateboarding
• golf – a game played on a large open course with 9 or 18 holes – playing golf
• bowls – a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack – bowls
• climbing – an event that involves rising to a higher point – mountain climbing / climbing
• scuba diving – skin diving with scuba apparatus – scuba diving
• snorkeling – skin diving with a snorkel – snorkeling
• spelunking – explore natural caves – cave exploration
• parachuting – cloth canopy that fills with air to slow a fall – parachuting

When you want to talk about artistic hobbies, we have vocabulary such as:

• painting – creating a picture with paints – painting
• drawing – a representation of forms or objects on a surface by means of lines – drawing
• watercolour – water-soluble pigment – watercolour
• photograph – a picture taken with a camera or phone that shows people or scenes – photograph
• embroidery – decorative needlework – embroidery
• pottery – objects made from clay and baked in a kiln – pottery
• woodcarving – a carving created by carving wood – wood carving
• craft – the skilled practice of a practical occupation – craft
• jewellery – an adornment made of precious metals and set with gems – jewellery

If you want to talk about indoor/sedentary hobbies, here are some common terms used to refer to these activities:

• chess – a board game for two players who move their 16 pieces according to specific rules; the object is to checkmate the opponent’s king – chess
• board game – a game played on a specially designed board – board game
• computer game – a game played against a computer – computer game
• stamp collection – a collection of stamps – stamp collecting
• antique collecting – made in or typical of earlier times and valued for its age – collecting antiques
• billiards – game in which cue sticks are used to propel balls on a table – billiards

Some of you who have hobbies related to nature can use vocabulary referring to hobbies such as:

• gardening – the cultivation of plants – gardening
• cave – a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea – cave
• collecting shells – the outer covering of an animal – collecting shells
• collecting pebbles – a small smooth rounded rock – collecting pebbles

Vocabulary used to indicate important qualities needed for different hobbies:

• stamina – enduring strength and energy – stamina
• perseverance – persistent determination – perseverance
• creative – having the ability or power to invent or make something – creative
• artistic – relating to the products of human creativity – artistic

Some adjectives can be used to describe characteristics, qualities, and express evaluations of different hobbies:

• time-consuming – of a task that takes time and patience – tốn thời gian
• tricky – having concealed difficulty – khó, rắc rối
• tedious – so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness – tẻ nhạt
• dull – so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness – buồn chán
• costly – having a high price – tốn kém
• expensive – high in price or charging high prices – đắt tiền
• unimportant – not important – không quan trọng
• trivial – (informal) small and of little importance – nhỏ nhặt
• silly – ludicrous, foolish – ngớ ngẩn

When you need to specifically describe the rules and procedures of a game, you will need to use some vocabulary related to materials, supplies, tools, or methods in order to describe accurately:

• oil – a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water – dầu
• copper – a ductile malleable reddish-brown metallic element – đồng
• silver – a soft white precious metallic element – bạc
• gold – a soft yellow malleable ductile metallic element – vàng
• beads – several beads threaded together on a string – hạt cườm
• badge – an emblem that signifies your status – huy hiệu
• shell – the outer covering of an animal – vỏ sò / vỏ ốc
• pebble – a small smooth rounded rock – viên sỏi
• stamp – walk heavily – dậm chân
• by hand – without the use of a machine – bằng tay
• by machine – with the use of a machine – bằng máy

Some common phrases and structures used in the Hobby topic in the speaking test:

• pet hobby: personal/ favorite hobby

When “pet” is a noun, it means a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship, but when it plays the role of an adjective, it means: “something special and important to you” – meaning something that is especially loved.

• To have a hobby: có 1 sở thích
• To enjoy/follow/indulge (in)/pursue + a hobby: theo đuổi, đam mê, đắm chìm trong 1 sở thích
• To start, take up + a hobby: Bắt đầu 1 sở thích mới
• among somebody’s hobbies = one of somebody’s hobbies: một trong những sở thích của ai
• take N/V-ing  as a hobby: coi việc gì là sở thích

Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 1 chủ đề hobbies

• Do you have any hobbies?

Actually I have quite a lot, from sedentary ones like playing chess or making crafts, to physical activities such as swimming or skateboarding. When I was small, my parents invested lots of money on my extracurricular classes with the hope to help me develop in as many aspects as possible, and luckily I enjoyed them all. 

• Did you have any hobbies when you were a child?

As I said before, there were many activities that I took up back then, but my most favourite was painting, probably because I performed the best in creating artworks and even won many prizes with some of those. Up to now, it’s still my all time favorite pleasure. Every time there’s too much going on in my head, I often just simply sit down with my painting frame and watercolour to unwind. 

• Do you have the same hobbies as your family members?

Not exactly. We try to spend our spare time together doing activities such as watching films or travelling, but our main hobbies are quite different. My parents prefer calming and relaxing ones like gardening or meditating, while I’m more into creative and physical hobbies.

Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 2 chủ đề hobbies

Describe an interesting hobby that you used to have. You should say:

what it is

when you had this hobby

how you did it

why you found it interesting

I’d like to talk about collecting leaves, which was kind of a strange but still exciting hobby that I used to have back when I was a small kid in primary school. 

I remember that I first took up this hobby in the autumn of the year when I was in grade 3. As a small dreamy girl, I was falling in love with this colorful season, when different kinds of leaves, in various shades, were falling into the ground. At that time, decorating scrapbooks was a trending activity among girls. I suddenly came up with the idea of using these leaves as little stickers for my notebook. But gradually, I ended up with more interest in the beautiful leaves than the book itself.

I usually collected fallen leaves in parks or around my neighbourhood and tried to choose leaves with different shapes, colours, and sizes. After that, I dried them between the pages of old books and sometimes labelled them with notes about where and when I found them. I stopped doing it when I became busier with my studies in secondary school.

I found this hobby rewarding and at the same time, relaxing because it helped me feel more connected to nature and notice small details that people often ignore. It also didn’t cost me any money. Looking back, this past pleasure taught me to be more patient and observant, which I think is quite meaningful.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 sample on the topic of hobbies

• Why do people have hobbies?

I think the main reasons are to relax and escape from daily pressure. Life can be quite stressful to lots of people, and hobbies are necessary mental doses for them after suffering from the hardships. Also, we need money for most of our hobbies, so I would say that for those whose pastimes are costly, such as playing extreme sports or travelling in resorts, these activities provide them the motivation to earn more money.

• Do you think men and women tend to have different types of hobbies?

To some extent, yes. Traditionally said, men are more likely to choose physically demanding or competitive hobbies, such as sports or video games, while women tend to prefer creative or social activities like decorating or joining group classes. Still, I think this difference is becoming less clear nowadays. People’s attitudes toward men and women’s roles are changing, so both men and women are free to explore any hobby they enjoy, without concerns about gender stereotypes.

• What can we learn from hobbies?

They can bring us many valuable skills and qualities. As most leisure activities require patience, time and consistency, and I believe when we invest enough effort on something, we can get back what we deserve. For each hobby, people gain different values. For example, creative hobbies help develop imagination and problem-solving skills, while sports can improve teamwork, discipline and perseverance.

So, we have explored the ‘Hobby’ topic in speaking together, along with interesting vocabulary and ‘standard’ sample answers for these IELTS Speaking questions. Thank you for reading this article, I wish you all the best with your studies and hope you achieve your desired results soon.