Physical Appearance
Below is the list of commonly used words for Physical Appearance. Meaning has been given for each word together with an exemplary usage in a sentence. After you finish going through this list, there is a real IELTS Question to test your vocabulary. A model answer has also been provided for your reference. If you want to skip the vocabulary part and go to the IELTS Speaking Practice Question right away, then click on the button below.
to bear a striking resemblance: to look very similar to
cropped hair: very short hair
dishevelled hair: untidy hair
to dress up to the nines: to dress very smartly or glamorously
fair hair: light-coloured hair
to be fair-skinned: light skinned
to get done up: to dress smartly
to be getting on a bit: to be getting old
to go grey: to have hair that is turning grey
to be good looking: to be attractive
to grow old gracefully: to act in a way that embraces the fact you are getting older
to be hard of hearing: to find it difficult to hear
in his/her 30s/40s: to be 20/30 something
scruffy: dressed untidily
to look young for your age: to look younger than you are
to lose one’s figure: to have a figure that has lost its toned shape
complexion: natural skin colour and texture
make up: cosmetics
medium height: average height
middle-aged: approximately between 45-65
to never have a hair out of place: perfectly styled hair
to be overweight: to weigh more than is regarded as healthy
pointed face: the opposite of a round face
shoulder-length hair: hair that comes down to the shoulders and no further
slender figure: a figure that is tall and slim
slim figure: attractively thin
thick hair: a lot of hair
to wear glasses: to use spectacles
to be well-built: to be muscular
to be well-turned out: to look smart
youthful appearance: to look young
IELTS Speaking Sample 1 - Physical Appearance
Now, try to use these new words you just learnt to answer the following real IELTS Speaking Question. Read the question and speak your answer. You may also record your answer using a mobile phone or any other device. Then compare your answer with the model answers given after each question.
Part 1
No … not at all … take my brother for example … he has short cropped hair and has quite a pointed face … he’s also quite fair-skinned compared to me …
My father’s getting on a bit … he’s in his 60s … but he looks very young for his age … he still does lots of exercise and is quite well-built …
She’s the same age as me … she has shoulder-length hair … fair hair … she has a slim figure and is medium height …
Part 2
Describe a person whose appearance you like. You should say
- who this person is
- what their relationship is to you
- what they look like
- and say what it is about their appearance you like.
OK … I’d like to talk about my aunt … her name’s Marta and she’s quite a character … she’s middle-aged but has a very youthful appearance … she’s a little overweight I suppose but not too much … she has a friendly round face framed by thick blonde hair … she has a lovely complexion and she’s always well-turned out … she actually always looks like she’s going out for the evening to somewhere special … there’s never a hair out of place … I’ve always thought she bears a striking resemblance to someone on TV … I can’t remember the name now … she wears glasses and always seems to have a different pair on every time I see her … I like the way she looks because she wears clothes that are right for her age and manages to look glamorous without it looking like she’s too done up … yes … I’ll be happy if I look like her when I’m her age …
Part 3
It depends where you’re going … I know some people get done up just to go to the shops … but I don’t see the point … you shouldn’t go out looking scruffy with dishevelled hair but I really don’t see the point in getting dressed up to the nines unless you’re going somewhere special …
I’m sure they do … yes … but it happens to all of us doesn’t it … we all go grey eventually and get hard of hearing … we start to lose our figure … that’s why plastic surgery is so popular … personally I think we just need to grow old gracefully and not worry too much about how we look …
I’d like to say no … it shouldn’t matter what we look like in terms of our physical appearance … but unfortunately it seems women especially are taken more seriously if they are good looking with a slender figure with perfect make up and so on …