IELTS Speaking: 13 Habits That Can Lift Your Band Score

Priya Sharma

Priya Sharma writes English learning guides for ESL students. Pune-based language enthusiast.

Visual representation of the voice · not a photographic portrait

Quick answer: Answer every question with a reason and an example, plan Part 2 with 6 to 10 keywords, and use a 'two sides plus opinion' structure in Part 3. Fix your five most common grammar mistakes and record yourself speaking every day.↗ Share on X

The fastest way to a better IELTS Speaking score is not a list of fancy words. It is thirteen small habits: answer, then explain, then give an example; use your 1-minute preparation time with a plan; fix your five most common grammar mistakes; and practice out loud with a timer and a recording every day. The examiner scores four things equally, and every tip below targets at least one of them.

How is IELTS Speaking actually scored?

READ ALSOPick the Right English Tense for Daily Life Easily →How to Use Idioms Correctly in IELTS Speaking for Higher Scores →Clear steps to write IELTS essays with perfect flow →

Before the tips, know what the examiner listens for. The test lasts about 11 to 14 minutes and has three parts. Your score comes from four criteria, and each one counts the same.

The three parts look like this:

1. Part 1 (4 to 5 minutes): short questions about you, your home, work, studies, and hobbies.

2. Part 2 (3 to 4 minutes): you get a card with a topic, 1 minute to prepare, and then you speak alone for up to 2 minutes.

3. Part 3 (4 to 5 minutes): a deeper discussion connected to the Part 2 topic.

Now the habits.

Tips 1 to 4: How do you sound fluent in Part 1?

1. Use the "answer + reason + example" formula. A one-word answer gives the examiner nothing to score. A three-step answer shows fluency and vocabulary in about 15 seconds.

• Weak: "Yes, I like cooking."
• Better: "Yes, I really enjoy cooking, mainly because it helps me relax after work. Last weekend, for example, I made a spicy chicken soup from my grandmother's recipe."

2. Stop there. Part 1 answers should be two to four sentences. If you talk for a full minute, the examiner will stop you, and that can break your rhythm. Short and complete beats long and messy.

3. Say "well" instead of staying silent. Everyone needs time to think. Native speakers fill that time with short phrases. Learn a few and use them naturally:

• "That's an interesting question..."
• "Well, let me think..."
• "I've never really thought about that, but..."

Use them to buy two or three seconds, not twenty. If you use the same phrase every time, it starts to sound memorized.

4. Ask for a repeat when you need it. If you did not hear or understand the question, say: "Sorry, could you repeat the question, please?" This is normal and polite. Guessing the question and answering something else hurts you more.

Tips 5 to 7: How do you use the Part 2 prep minute?

READ ALSOHow to Manage Time Effectively in IELTS Reading for Band 8 →How to Structure IELTS Speaking Part 2 Answers for Band 8 Success →Practical Ways to Reduce Test Anxiety on IELTS Exam Day →

Part 2 scares most students. You speak alone, and silence feels long. The secret is a plan.

5. Write keywords, not sentences. You get paper and a pencil. In 60 seconds, you cannot write full sentences. Write 6 to 10 short words instead. For the topic "Describe a place you visited that you liked", your notes might be:

• "Lisbon – 2023 – with sister"
• "trams, hills, old buildings"
• "pastries, sea view"
• "felt free – no phone"
• "want to return"

6. Follow the order of the card. The card gives you three or four bullet points. Talk about them in the same order. This gives your talk a natural structure, and the examiner can follow you easily. That helps your Coherence score.

7. Keep going until the examiner stops you. Aim for the full 2 minutes. If you finish early, add one of these:

• a small story ("One afternoon, something funny happened...")
• a feeling ("What I remember most is how calm I felt...")
• a comparison ("It was very different from my hometown because...")

A quick practice rule: time yourself with your phone. If you often stop at 1 minute, you need more details in your notes, not more speed.

Tips 8 to 10: How do you show more words and grammar?

8. Learn vocabulary in topic groups. IELTS topics repeat: work, study, hometown, technology, environment, travel, health, family, and free time. For each topic, build a small group of 10 to 15 useful words and phrases. For example, for "environment":

• reduce waste
• public transport
• air pollution
• recycle plastic
• a long-term solution

These natural word pairs are called collocations. Examiners notice them because they sound like real English.

9. Mix simple and complex sentences. You do not need long, complicated sentences all the time. But you should show a few. Easy ways to add complexity:

• "If I had more free time, I would learn to paint."
• "The city where I grew up is quite small."
• "Although I love my job, it can be stressful."

10. Fix your personal top five mistakes. Most students repeat the same few errors. Record yourself, listen, and write down every mistake. After a week, you will see a pattern. Common ones:

Fixing five mistakes you make all the time helps more than learning fifty new words.

Tips 11 and 12: How do you handle hard questions in Part 3?

Part 3 questions are more abstract. You talk about society, not only about yourself. For example: "Why do some people prefer to live in big cities?"

11. Use the "two sides + your opinion" structure. It works for almost every Part 3 question:

1. Give one reason on one side.

2. Give one reason on the other side.

3. Say what you think and why.

Example: "Well, big cities usually offer more jobs and better salaries, so that attracts a lot of young people. On the other hand, life there can be expensive and stressful. Personally, I think people choose cities mainly for career reasons, especially at the start of their working life."

12. Talk about people in general, not only you. Part 3 wants general ideas. Phrases that help:

• "Many people believe that..."
• "In my country, it's quite common to..."
• "Younger people tend to..., while older people..."

If you really do not know anything about the topic, say so honestly and still give a guess: "I'm not an expert on this, but I would imagine that..." That is still fluent English.

Tip 13: How should you practice every day?

13. Record yourself with a timer, then listen. This is the habit that connects all the others. Reading tips does not change your score. Speaking out loud does.

Here is a simple 20-minute daily routine:

Once a week, compare your newest recording with your first one. You will hear the change more clearly than you feel it.

What about pronunciation and accent?

You do not need a British or American accent. The examiner scores how easy you are to understand. Focus on three things:

• Word stress. Say "PHOtograph" but "phoTOGraphy". Wrong stress confuses listeners more than a foreign accent.
• Word endings. Say the final sounds clearly: "worked", "books", "asked". Many learners drop them.
• Chunks. Speak in small groups of words with short pauses between them, like "In my opinion / the best way / to learn a language / is to use it every day."

A good exercise is shadowing. Play a short clip of a native speaker, pause, and repeat it with the same rhythm and stress. Do this for five minutes a day.

What should you avoid on test day?

• Memorized answers. Examiners are trained to notice them. A memorized answer that does not fit the question can lower your score.
• Very rare words used wrongly. A simple word used correctly is better than an advanced word used in the wrong way.
• Answering with only "yes" or "no". Always add a reason.
• Worrying about one mistake. If you make an error, correct it quickly or just keep going. Stopping to panic hurts fluency.
• Speaking too fast. Fast is not fluent. Clear and steady is fluent.

Your next step

Today, set a timer for 2 minutes and answer this Part 2 card out loud: "Describe a skill you would like to learn." Use 1 minute to write 6 keywords first, and record yourself. Then listen and write down your mistakes. That list is the start of your personal top five, and it is the most useful study material you will ever have for the IELTS Speaking test.

FAQ

How long is the IELTS Speaking test?

It lasts about 11 to 14 minutes and has three parts: an interview, a 2-minute talk on a cue card, and a discussion.

Can I ask the examiner to repeat a question?

Yes. Saying 'Sorry, could you repeat the question, please?' is normal and better than answering the wrong question.

Do I need a British or American accent?

No. Pronunciation is scored on how easy you are to understand, not on a specific accent.