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IELTS Listening Maps and Plans Vocabulary

Here are the 5 sets of IELTS Listening map vocabulary with maps, plans and sample sentences to help you learn.

If you want to perform well in the IELTS Listening Test, one of the important sets of vocabulary that you should master is to understand the language of location, especially prepositions of place, and direction.

Here are definitions of these two types of vocabulary to make sure that you understand the difference between them, and a few examples of each type.

  • Location – where something is in relation to another object or place.
  • Direction – the position towards which someone moves or faces.

Common vocabulary of location: near, in front of, next to, beside, across from, between, etc.

Common vocabulary of direction: turn right, turn left, go straight on, travel northwest, go past, etc.

Below, you’ll find lists of vocabulary commonly used in map and plan questions, along with sample sentences to show the words and phrases used in context. Each set of sentences describes or gives directions on a map or plan to give you some practice at visualising the information as you’ll have to do in your test. Make sure that you master one set at a time and not all together. Good Luck.

Sets of Vocabulary for IELTS Listening Module

(Maps & Plans)


Practice using this vocabulary to describe places you know and it will soon become familiar.

Below is a selection of vocabulary and phrases you should be aware of before doing the listening test:

  • at the top/at the bottom
  • on the left/on the right/on the far side
  • North/South/East/West
  • to the north/to the west
  • slightly west of
  • in the southwest/in the northeast
  • in the middle of/in the centre of
  • above/below
  • inside/outside
  • opposite/in front of
  • left-hand side/ right-hand side
  • clockwise/anticlockwise
  • a little beyond
  • just past
  • before you get to
  • Adjoining
  • enter via
  • runs alongside

If you don’t understand any of these, please look them up and practice using them.

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