Master Children Synonyms for IELTS: Boost Your Band Score 2025

Written by

Mynaz Altaf

Fact check by

Divyansh Chaudhari

Updated on

Jun 29,2025

Children Synonyms for IELTS: Latest Expert Guide - TerraTern

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Effective use of children synonyms for IELTS has never been misplaced. By 2025, resources will have a greater emphasis in examiner reports regarding writing topics involving childhood, education, and youth, among other issues in the Speaking and Writing aspects.  With that being said, it is crucial for test-takers to have a strong grasp of synonyms in order to effectively express their ideas and opinions.

As we move towards 2025, the IELTS exam continues to evolve and adapt to the changing global landscape. One key aspect that has been highlighted is the importance of children synonyms in the Speaking and Writing sections. In this article, we will discuss why it is crucial for test-takers to have a comprehensive understanding of these synonyms and how they can be used effectively in IELTS essays.

Latest Facts & News (2025) 

  • IELTS examiners increasingly emphasize lexical resources, making synonym use for "children" more critical than ever.

  • Recent IELTS Writing Task 2 topics have focused on childhood development and education, requiring nuanced vocabulary.

  • "Minors," "juveniles," and "offspring" are now more commonly accepted in formal IELTS writing.

  • Informal synonyms like "kids" and "teens" are suitable for the Speaking test but discouraged in Writing.

  • The Cambridge English Thesaurus updated its list of synonyms for "child" in June 2025.

  • IELTS Band 7+ scorers consistently demonstrate variety in referring to children in essays.

  • Age-specific terms (infant, toddler, adolescent) are increasingly required for higher band scores.

  • Misuse of synonyms (e.g., "offspring" for groups) still leads to lower marks for task achievement.

  • IELTS 2025 examiner reports highlight the importance of collocations with "children" (e.g., "school-age children").

  • Vocabulary expansion is now a key criterion in IELTS preparation courses worldwide.

Are you repeating "children" in every IELTS essay? Discover how mastering precise synonyms can instantly boost your band score and set you apart from thousands of test-takers!

Understanding the Importance of Children Synonyms for IELTS in 2025

A person with tattoos holding a pen in his hand; Children Synonyms for IELTS - TerraTern

Using varied vocabulary is essential to achieve a high band score in the IELTS exam. The resource criterion explicitly rewards candidates who can demonstrate the following:

  • A wide range of vocabulary showcasing diversity in word choice

  • Precise and appropriate selection of words that fit the context

  • Awareness of the formality level required by the task

Because of this, mastering children synonyms for IELTS is especially important when writing or speaking about topics related to education, parenting, childhood development, and social issues.

Why Does This Matter?

  • Repetition Lowers Your Score: Repeating the same word, such as "children," too often can make your writing or speech seem limited and dull.

  • Inappropriate Synonyms Confuse Your Message: Using words that do not fit the context or formality can confuse examiners and weaken your arguments.

  • Formal Writing Tasks Require Precise and Academic Vocabulary: For Writing Task 2, formal synonyms like "minors" or "juveniles" are expected, rather than casual terms like "kids."

How Mastering Synonyms Helps You?

Whether you're preparing for Writing Task 2 or the Speaking section, mastering a range of children synonyms for IELTS will help you:

  • Avoid redundancy by not overusing one word.

  • Showcase your vocabulary range, which is a key scoring criterion.

  • Sound more fluent and natural, making your responses more engaging and effective.

Expanding your synonym use is a straightforward yet powerful way to impress IELTS examiners and boost your band score.

Current Comprehensive List of Children Synonyms for IELTS

The given list includes all children synonyms for IELTS, with careful division into formal, informal, and age-specific synonyms. They come with concise usage notes, field-specific explanations, and sentence examples so you can know when and how to deploy them. You can use this list both when revising to write the Writing Task 2 essay or when speaking in the Speaking part since it will help increase your vocabulary base and not repeat words, two elements that enable a higher band score in IELTS.

Also Read: What is Exploration IELTS Reading Answers: New Guide

Latest Formal Synonyms for Writing Tasks

The children synonym for IELTS is best suited for writing task 2, where you are expected to use an academic tone:

  1. Minors: These are persons below the age of adulthood.

  • Illustration: Government policies that shield minors against exploitation should be adopted.

  1. Juveniles: Juveniles are defined in legal or criminal justice terms.

  • Example: The children are not supposed to be tried as adults in most situations.

  • This term is used to refer to children resulting from parents (biological tone).

  • For instance, parents usually make sacrifices in favor of their children.

  1. Progeny: It is a highly formal term mostly found in scientific or philosophical literature.

  • Illustration: The health of unborn children results from the present environmental policies.

  1. Youthful Generation: This term refers to the youths in general in society.

  • Examples: The younger generation gets confronted with challenges that the earlier generation never experienced.

Informal Synonyms for Speaking Tasks in 2025

These vocabularies are suitable for children synonym for IELTS Speaking examination, where the natural and casual tone is appreciated. You must avoid them as a rule of thumb, especially in Writing Task 2, where more formal language is expected.

  1. Kids: This is the most widespread colloquialism of children. It is neutral, widely acceptable in spoken English, and suited to ordinary talk.

  • I love to play with children at my cousin's house; they are full of energy and interests.

  • "Children" is a more formal variation of the word "kids." "Youngsters" is also not used in written language but in informal spoken English. It is applicable during the reference of older kids or adolescents.

  • Scenario: Children now know more about technology than ever before, and this is particularly true in the case of smartphones and the use of social media.

  1. Teens / Teenagers: These terms can be used to describe those people who are 13 to 19 years old. They are stage-specific and have been applied most of the time when discussing matters or practices related to adolescence.

  • For example, the high school years are usually a time of peer pressure among teenagers.

  1. Lads / Girls: Common in British English, the term refers to boys and girls in an informal way. They are informal and inappropriate in writing, yet they can be used in speech.

  • Example: School boys in my hometown typically go and have football matches in the afternoon, and girls enroll in dance classes.

These informal children synonyms of IELTS I got could avoid making you sound not very natural and fluent during the Speaking test, in case they are applied in an appropriate context and tonal variation degree.

Latest Age-Specific Alternatives of Children Synonyms for IELTS

This is because your understanding of the proper use of age-specific words will indicate that you are accurate and broad in words, which could be an ultimate impression on the IELTS examiners. These terminologies enable you to describe children synonym for IELTS better based on their developmental stage, giving credence and refinement to your writing and speaking style.

A list of the synonyms used to describe children by age follows:

  1. Infant- This is the period between 0-1 years of a baby.

  • Case in point: Babies need intensive care and monitoring to become healthy.

  • Toddler: Children who are between 1 and 3 years of age and are exploring the surrounding world.

  • Case illustration: The toddlers will learn to actively explore their surroundings, which is crucial in cognitive development.

  1. Preschooler- This developmental stage of children is between 3 and 5 years, and early education activities are helpful to these children.

  • Illustration: Preschool children benefit significantly from structured learning geared to formal schooling.

  1. School-going children- Children (6-12 years) at primary (or elementary) school.

  • Example: Children in their school years ought to be exposed to quality education to lay a good foundation for their future.

  1. Adolescents- The young population between the ages of 13 and 18 years, going through bodily and emotional transition.

  • Scenario: Teenagers are prone to several emotional and educational problems that family members and teachers must address.

  1. Youth- It is a broader concept that comprises teenagers and young adults.

  • The present youngsters are the future leaders and inventors.

By having these concrete terms of age, you can use them in your IELTS answers to avoid being too general and instead be more specific, thus impressing the reader or listener with your ideas. Such accuracy can play a significant role in increasing band scores in Writing and Speaking.

Also Read: Is IELTS Difficult? New Insights, Tips & Strategies

How to Use Children Synonyms Effectively in IELTS Essays in 2025?

Aman writing on a paper; Children Synonyms for IELTS - TerraTern

To get good scores in Writing Task 2, care should be taken not to repeat one particular word, as is the case forchildren synonyms for IELTS. Instead, synonyms should be used in an essay naturally and adequately so that they testify to lexical richness.

Effective Strategies

  • To be simple at the outset, use the word children as a starting point to clarify the work.

  • In the body paragraphs, use formal synonyms to make your Writing more graceful and diverse. Words like "minors," "juveniles," or "offspring" are effective in this context.

  • Use age-specific content where appropriate to demonstrate accuracy and increase the vocabulary scope. For example, one can say "school-age children," "adolescents," or "infants" relative to the situation.

Good Example

Basic education should be provided to children. School-going children especially gain the most through early literacy programs. Such minors are in the critical stage of development, which also determines the success of these minds in the future.

Current Common Mistakes to Avoid in Children Synonyms for IELTS

The children synonyms for IELTS are also commonly misused by even good candidates in IELTS, and valuable marks are lost. Correct use of vocabulary is not only about diversity but also precision, context, and manner. Some of the common mistakes to avoid are listed below:

Incorporation of colloquial words in essays, such as kids. There should be no usage of informal words like the word kids in the Speaking section but academic Writing.

  1. Wrong: Kids have to go to school.

  • Right: Children/minors are to go to school.

  • Excessive use of unusual or too elevated lexicons such as progeny

  • Although the word progeny is technically accurate, it is unnatural and forced in most IELTS essays. Limit it to its use when needed, as the tone is very formal.

  • Do not be too official and scientific-like in your twang- keep it simple and understandable.

  • Improper use of age-specific synonyms

  • It would be easy to take that secondary action of using a word that does not fit the age group, mess up the reader, and reduce your score in task achievement.

  1. Wrong: The baby was getting ready for college.

  • Right: The teenager was gearing up to go to college.

  • Standard usage includes uncountable nouns, such as the word "offspring." Their transformation into plural is not correct.

  1. Wrong: The offspring is gifted.

  • Right: The children are talented.

  • These nuances are considered when using children synonyms for IELTS. Never focus on replacing words instead of sticking to context, formality, and accuracy.

Also Read: Everything About IELTS Learning & Exam Is Right Here!

Sample Sentences Using Children Synonyms for IELTS in 2025

Children synonyms for IELTS will also allow you to sound more colloquial in speaking and more academic in Writing when you know the time and manner in which you should use them. The following are the sample sentences depending on each type of task, showing how to use both formal and informal versions.

Examples of Writing Tasks (Formal Style)

  1. Minors

  • All minors, especially those in rural areas, need access to healthcare services, which governments should ensure are provided to them.

  1. School-age children

  • Educational changes are to be introduced according to the particular learning needs of schoolchildren to guarantee the sustainable development of a country.

  • Examples of Speaking Task (Informal, Colloquial Tone)

  1. Kids

  • I like to work with children at a local library as a volunteer - it is always entertaining to open new books and thoughts.

  1. Teens /Teenagers

  • I know a lot of teens who are also more concerned with environmental issues and take part in cleaning up the streets locally.

These are only some examples where selecting the appropriate children synonyms for IELTS, given the task type and formality, can substantially improve the quality of your answer. To get the best score, write with more formal words in your essays and more casual and age-appropriate words when you speak.

Latest Enhancing IELTS Vocabulary: Experts Tips and Resources in 2025

A woman a writing with a pen; Children Synonyms for IELTS - TerraTern

Gaining vocabulary is the key to increasing your score in Writing and Speaking. Having the natural and correct usage of a range of children synonyms for IELTS proves to be very proficient in the language.

The following are some good tips to enhance your vocabulary range and application:

1. Read IELTS Band 9 Samples Essays

Access to essays that receive good scores will make you realize how synonyms can be applied contextually. Learn the way authors differ words and still do not sound the same.

2. SR Cambridge English Thesaurus

This tool you can trust provides dependable alternatives and demarcates formal, informal, and age-specific usage. It also comes in handy to tidy up your children synonyms for IELTS options.

3. Keep a Record of Synonyms

Make a special notebook or computer file in which you record the synonyms, the meanings, and the examples of the use of the word with a sentence and where to apply the words in IELTS (such as Writing or speaking).

4. Exercises about Writing ESSAYS with the 3-5 different Synonyms to Kids

You can even choose a typical IELTS subject (e.g., education or family) and write a brief essay while trying to consciously interchange the synonyms, e.g., minors, school-age children, youth, and offspring.

5. View IELTS Speak Mock Interviews

Exposure to real or simulated answers shows how slack language, such as "kids," "teens," or "youngsters," is generally used in an actual conversation.

With the constant use of these techniques, you will be able to gain confidence and make the use of children synonyms for IELTS sound natural, suitable, and tested by the examiner.

 

Conclusion

With the broadest dynamic of converting children synonyms for IELTS, there is a high possibility of obtaining a high mark in Writing and Speaking. To know when to use a synonym and when not to, to know when it is appropriate and formal and when it is informal and specific to the age, and to show that you have a good command of lexical resources, i.e., one of the requirements of the Band 7+, you ensure that you do not sound repetitive as well.

Contact TerraTern for more information on children synonyms for IELTS.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best synonym for "children" in IELTS Writing Task 2?

The best synonym depends on the context, but “minors” and “school-age children” are commonly used formal alternatives in IELTS Writing Task 2. They convey clarity, academic tone, and are suitable for essays about education, rights, or development.

Can I use "kids" in IELTS Writing?

No, “kids” is considered too informal for IELTS Writing Task 2. It’s better suited for the Speaking test, while formal terms like “children,” “juveniles,” or “young learners” are more appropriate in essays.

Are "offspring" and "descendants" interchangeable in IELTS essays?

Not exactly. “Offspring” refers specifically to a person’s children, while “descendants” refers to future generations and is often used in a broader or historical context. For IELTS essays, “offspring” is acceptable when referring to children, but “descendants” may sound too abstract or misplaced unless discussing generational impact.

What is the difference between "juvenile" and "minor" in IELTS context?

“Minor” is a more common and widely accepted formal synonym for children, especially in legal or policy discussions. “Juvenile” often refers to young offenders or legal terms in crime-related topics, so it should be used carefully and only in appropriate contexts.

How can I expand my vocabulary for IELTS quickly?

o improve quickly, read Band 9 sample essays, watch IELTS Speaking mock interviews, and keep a vocabulary journal with topic-wise synonyms and usage examples. Using reliable sources like the Cambridge English Thesaurus and practicing daily will also help boost your lexical resource efficiently.