Vivek from Pune easily followed his Indian colleagues in daily meetings. In his first IELTS practice test, the speakers’ accents and pace caught him off guard.

The recordings use a range of English accents, so get used to more than one before test day. Fast, connected speech, where words blend together, is worth practising too.

What Do Official Sources Say About Accents?

The official IELTS website says the recordings use different accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand and North American. The Cambridge IELTS FAQ describes them as a range of English native-speaker accents.

The Cambridge FAQ also says IELTS covers all major varieties of English, and the British Council says it helps to be familiar with a range of different accents. For the sounds themselves, see our guide to the 44 sounds in English.

What Is Connected Speech?

In natural speech, words are not said one by one. Unstressed words get shorter, sounds join together, and some sounds drop out. The table shows four features to listen for.

Feature of fast speech Example What you hear
Weak forms “cup of tea” Sounds like “cup a tea”, with a short “uh”
Weak forms “fish and chips” “and” shrinks to a short “n”
Linking sounds “pick it up” Sounds like “pi-ki-tup”, as one unit
Linking sounds “an apple” Sounds like “a napple”
Dropped sounds “next door” The “t” can disappear: “nex door”
Dropped sounds “last night” The “t” in “last” can disappear
Contractions “I would have” Shortens to “I’d’ve” in quick speech
Contractions “they are” Becomes “they’re”, one short sound

The official format page says contracted words such as “they’re” will not be tested as answers. Speakers still use them, so practise hearing them.

How Can I Practise With Different Voices?

The British Council suggests listening to the radio and podcasts, watching TV and films, and listening to online lectures. Choose sources with different voices.

Two free examples are BBC Learning English, which has the programme 6 Minute English, and ABC Radio National in Australia. BBC says its 6 Minute English transcripts are not word-for-word, so treat them as a guide.

What Helps When Several People Speak?

The official test-taker guide says Part 3 can have up to four people speaking. Practise telling voices apart in conversations and group discussions, and not just in talks by one speaker.

The Cambridge IELTS FAQ says that before each part you hear a short description of the situation, which may say who the speakers are and what the topic is. Listen to it, because it gives you context before the voices begin.

How Do I Use a Transcript and Shadowing?

As advice, choose a short clip with a transcript. Listen once while reading, and mark where words run together. Then replay the clip and repeat each sentence just after the speaker, which is called shadowing.

For more on shadowing with films and TV, see our guide to learning English from films and TV.

Incorrect: “Focusing on a single accent during practice.”

Correct: Vary the voices you practise with, and return to the ones that catch you out.

Tip

Keep a note of any phrase that sounded different from how it is written, and look it up afterwards.

Key Takeaways

  • Official sources list British, Australian, New Zealand and North American accents.
  • Connected speech makes words blend, shrink or drop out.
  • Contracted words such as “they’re” are not tested as answers, but speakers use them.
  • Free radio and podcast sources give you different voices to practise with.

The bottom line: Familiarity with several voices and with natural-speed speech is something you can build before test day.