IELTS Speaking Tips and Tricks | How to Practice IELTS Speaking

If you’re looking for some of the best IELTS speaking tips and tricks, then you’re certainly in the right place! We have 25 speaking IELTS tips to help you get a better band score. Check them out!

Top 25 IELTS Speaking Tips

Let’s get into the best IELTS speaking test tips.

#1: Learn How the IELTS Speaking Exam is Graded

A key to doing better on any exam like IELTS, TOEFL, or TOEIC is to find out how it will be graded. By understanding that, you can work towards each category in an organized way.

Check out this video to learn more about IELTS speaking exam evaluation. I used to be an IELTS speaking test examiner!

#2: Don’t Memorize Answers

NEVER memorize anything for any speaking test. It will be very obvious that you have done this. Plus, there are so many possible questions, along with personalized follow-up questions from the examiner that it will be impossible. You will get a very low band score if you do this!

#3: Show your Personality for IELTS Speaking

There is no one answer that will score more highly than another one. It’s okay to answer the questions honestly! Show your personality. Laugh, tell a personal story (in the first and second sections), and show some emotion. It’s encouraged in this exam.

#4: Learn More Vocabulary for the IELTS Speaking Exam

One of the easiest ways to get a better score on IELTS speaking is to learn more vocabulary. Use this book if you’re aiming for a band 7 or 8: IELTS Speaking Vocabulary Builder.

#5: Use Conjunctions

A conjunction (but/and/so/or) is a way to join together ideas in a sentence. You can make longer sentences and it’s a way to get a higher band score. Check out this quiz to see how well you know them:

Doing some extensive reading can also help you learn how to use them in a natural way.

#6: Don’t Repeat Yourself

Try to avoid repeating things multiple times. Say something once and then move on to the next thing.

If you make a mistake, don’t go back. Just move forward and on to the next thing. You won’t get extra points for correcting something. Just try to avoid making that same mistake again!

#7: Accents Don’t Matter

Even though your examiner may be from a certain country, it doesn’t mean that you have to speak with that accent. Speak with whatever accent is natural for you.

However, be honest with yourself! Can people generally understand you easily when you speak English? If not, you may have to work on your pronunciation, stress, and intonation.

#8: Get Familiar with Some Common Topics

The IELTS speaking questions change every few months. That means that you can’t memorize answers. However, there are some very common topics that you can get familiar with:

• work
• studies/school
• home
• family
• travel
• memories
• books/movies/TV shows
• transportation
• the environment
• sports
• the Internet
• cell phones

#9: Can you Please Repeat the Question?

You won’t lose any points for asking the examiner to repeat the question if you didn’t understand. Just say, “Can you please repeat the question?” They will!

Or, if you don’t understand a specific word, you can say, “What is _____?” The examiner will explain it to you.

It’s a test of your speaking ability, not your ability to understand the questions.

#10: Practice Speaking English

To do well on the IELTS speaking exam, you’ll need to do lots of speaking practice beforehand. Here are some of the best ways to do that:

Finding a language partner is one of the best ways to get some practice with English speaking!

#11: Use Different Grammatical Structures on the IELTS Speaking Test

If you keep using the same kinds of sentences over, and over, and over again, you won’t get a high band score. Use things like conditionals, dependant clauses, conjunctions and transitions in order to make your speech more varied and interesting. You should be able to talk about the past, present, and future.

#12: Take Time to Think

If you need a bit of time to think, use statements like:

• That’s an interesting question.
• Let me see.
• That’s a good point.
• I’ve never thought about that but . . .

#13: Avoid Fillers

Fillers are meaningless words such as:

• like
• well
• so
• actually
• umm
• ahhh
• yeah

Try to avoid these as much as possible!

#14: Idioms for IELTS Speaking

An easy way to get a higher band score on the IELTS exam is to learn some idioms. Use a few effectively and you’ll be well on your way to a better score in the vocabulary section. Check out this book: Idioms for IELTS Speaking.

#15: Use Contractions and Connected Speech

Say these two things out loud:

• I am Jackie and I would like to be a teacher.
• I’m Jackie and I’d like to be a teacher.

Which one sounds better? The second one, right? That’s because it uses contrations! Using them, along with connected speech can help you sound more fluent. Check out this video to find out more:

#16: Add Some Details

You won’t get a high band score if you give very, very short answers. Give your answer and then expand upon it with a couple of sentences. Give an example or some details. Show your English ability!

#17: Be Outgoing for the Speaking IELTS Exam

I know that you’ll be nervous but try to be outgoing and friendly. Smile and say hello! Talk loudly enough. Make eye contact. This will help you get a better score than someone who gives very short answers, looks angry, or talks so quietly that it’s difficult to hear them.

#18: Remember that it’s a Conversation

The IELTS speaking test is a conversation between two people. Keep this in mind! You won’t get extra points for talking, and talking, and talking. Say a few sentences and then pause and let the examiner ask you another question.

#19: Collocations for IELTS Speaking

A collocation is two or more words that occur together frequently. They are also known as “language chunks.” For example:

• pick up
• brush your teeth
• watch TV
• Saturday and Sunday
• looks like a million bucks

Learning some of the most popular collocations can help you get a better score on the IELTS speaking test. Have a look here: Collocations for IELTS Speaking.

#20: More IELTS Speaking Tips & Tricks

Even more solid advice for getting a higher band score on the IELTS exam:

#21: There is No Right or Wrong Answer

You don’t need to give the “right” answer to get a better score. There is no right answer. The questions are designed so that you talk about your experiences, hopes for the future, or opinion about things. You are graded on your English ability, not the specific answer that you give.

#22: Master Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb + a particle/preposition. Some examples are pick up, check out, and stand down. Using these correctly will help you get a better score on the lexical resources portion of the IELTS speaking test. This book is one of the best resources for learning them in a fun way: Phrasal Verbs for the IELTS Speaking Test.

#23: Speak at a Normal Pace

If you speak very slowly, it’ll show that you don’t know English that well. If you speak very quickly, you might not necessarily be fluent and you won’t get a higher score. You’re just more likely to make mistakes. So, speak at a regular pace like if you were talking to a friend or coworker.

#24: Don’t Worry about Interruptions

The examiner has a series of questions to get through in a specific time. Don’t worry if they interrupt you. That’s their job.You don’t get a lower score! Just don’t take it personally and get angry or annoyed.

#25: Pay Attention to Verb Tense

If the question is about the past, use the past tense. For example:

• Where did you grow up? I grew up in Korea.

If the question is in the present tense, use the present tense in your answer. For example:

• How often do you use your cellphone? I use my cell phone all the time.
• Where do you live? I live in an apartment in Surrey.

And finally, if it’s about the future, your response should be too. For example:

• Do you have any plans for the weekend? Yes, I’m going to . . .
• Do you think that driverless cars will become popular in your lifetime? Yes, they probably will. . .

IELTS Speaking Tips: Join the Conversation

Do you have any advice on how to prepare for IELTS speaking? Leave a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear about it!

Last update on 2022-06-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API