IELTS Spelling Mistakes: A 4-Week Fix for Task 1 and Task 2
Quick answer: Spelling is marked under Lexical Resource, one quarter of your Writing band, and the number of errors separates Band 6 from Band 7 and 8. Build a personal list of the words you get wrong, practise them by hand daily, and save the last 3 minutes of each task for a spelling-only check.↗ Share on X
You fix spelling mistakes in IELTS Writing by doing three things: learn the 40 to 60 words you personally get wrong, write them by hand until they are automatic, and save the last 3 minutes of each task for a spelling-only check. Spelling is judged inside "Lexical Resource", which is one of the four criteria in both Task 1 and Task 2. So a handful of small errors can quietly hold your score at Band 6 even when your ideas are strong. The good news: spelling is the easiest part of the test to fix, because the list of words that cause trouble is short and predictable.
How much do spelling mistakes really cost you?
IELTS Task 1 Trends: A 3-Step Method With a Model Answer →
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Nerves: How to Stay Calm and Clear →
IELTS Task 2 Body Paragraphs: The 4-Step Plan for Band 8 →Spelling is not marked as a separate score. It sits inside Lexical Resource, which counts for one quarter of your Writing band. The official band descriptors describe spelling like this (in plain words):
| Band | What the examiner sees in your spelling |
|---|---|
| 5 | Noticeable spelling errors that may cause some difficulty for the reader |
| 6 | Some spelling errors, but they do not stop the reader from understanding |
| 7 | Occasional errors in spelling or word choice |
| 8 | Rare errors, mostly slips |
| 9 | Errors are extremely rare |
Look at the jump from 6 to 7 to 8. The difference is not "no mistakes". It is how often they happen. Ten small spelling errors in a 280-word essay tell the examiner "some errors". Two tell them "occasional". That shift alone can move your Lexical Resource score.
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Does the computer test check my spelling for me?
No. In computer-delivered IELTS there is no spell-check and no autocorrect. Nothing gets underlined in red. Many students who practise in Word or Google Docs are surprised by this on test day, because they never noticed how much the software was fixing for them.
If you plan to take the computer test, do this from today:
1. Turn off spell-check and autocorrect in the program you use for practice.
2. Type your practice essays in a plain text editor (like Notepad) where nothing is corrected.
3. After you finish, paste the text into a checker only to find your errors, then write them in your error notebook (see below).
On the paper test, the rule is the same: nobody helps you. Also check your handwriting. If the examiner cannot tell whether you wrote "a" or "o", the word may be read as misspelled.
Can I use British or American spelling?
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IELTS Speaking: 9 Habits That Push Your Band Score Higher →
IELTS Speaking Part 2: The 4-Step Story Plan for Band 8 →Yes, both are accepted. "Colour" and "color" are both correct. "Organise" and "organize" are both correct. The problem is mixing them in the same essay. Writing "colour" in paragraph one and "color" in paragraph three looks like you are not sure which one is right.
Pick one system and stay with it:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| colour, behaviour, favour | color, behavior, favor |
| organise, realise, recognise | organize, realize, recognize |
| centre, metre | center, meter |
| travelled, cancelled | traveled, canceled |
| programme (TV) | program |
| licence (noun) | license |
Which words do IELTS candidates misspell most often?
Every student has a personal list, but some words cause trouble again and again. Many of them are words you will need in almost every essay.
Task 1 words (charts, graphs, processes, maps):
- approximately (two p's)
- significantly
- fluctuate, fluctuation
- proportion
- percentage, per cent (British) or percent (American)
- increase, decrease (not "increace")
- remained, gradually, slightly, steadily
- February, Wednesday
- accommodation (two c's, two m's)
- environment (don't forget the n before "ment")
Task 2 words (opinion and discussion essays):
- government (the n is silent, but it is there)
- necessary (one c, two s's)
- definitely (not "definately")
- separate (not "seperate")
- believe, achieve, receive (remember: i before e, except after c)
- beginning (double n)
- occurred, occurrence (double c, double r)
- responsible (not "responsable")
- opportunity, development, environment
- recommend (one c, two m's)
- business, successful, unnecessary
- advertisement, technology, knowledge
Words that are spelled correctly but are the wrong word:
| You meant | You wrote | How to remember |
|---|---|---|
| their (belongs to them) | there / they're | "their" has "heir" inside, and an heir owns things |
| its (belongs to it) | it's | "it's" always means "it is" or "it has" |
| affect (verb) | effect (noun) | Affect = Action, Effect = End result |
| lose (not win) | loose (not tight) | "loose" has an extra o, like a loose belt with extra space |
| than (comparison) | then (time) | thAn = compArison, thEn = timE |
| which | witch | a witch is a person with a broom |
| advice (noun) | advise (verb) | "I give advice. I advise you." |
These are dangerous because no checker catches them and your eye reads them as correct.
How do I build a personal error list that actually works?
General word lists help a little. Your own list helps a lot. Here is a simple 4-week plan.
Week 1: find your errors
1. Collect every essay and Task 1 report you have written in the last few months. If you have none, write four new ones (two of each task) without spell-check.
2. Go through them with a checker or a teacher and underline every spelling mistake.
3. Write each wrong word in a notebook, with the correct spelling next to it. Count how many times each one appears.
Most students find that 15 to 25 words cause most of their errors.
Week 2: learn the pattern behind each word
For each word on your list, write down why you get it wrong. Common reasons:
- Double letters: "acommodation", "ocurred", "begining"
- Silent letters: "goverment", "enviroment", "Febuary"
- Wrong vowel: "seperate", "definately", "independant"
- Endings: "responsable", "beautifull", "hopefull" (the suffix "-ful" has one l)
- -ing and -ed rules: "writting", "comming", "stoped"
Once you see the pattern, you fix many words at once. For example, the rule "one-syllable word ending in one vowel + one consonant doubles the last letter" fixes "stopped", "planned", "running" and "getting" together.
Week 3: write by hand, every day
Spend 10 minutes a day writing each word from your list three times, then using it in one short sentence. Writing by hand builds memory faster than reading. Say the hard part out loud: "nec-ES-SARY: one collar, two sleeves" (one c, two s's).
Week 4: test yourself under real conditions
Write two full practice tests (Task 1 in 20 minutes, Task 2 in 40 minutes) with no correction tools. Check only spelling afterwards. Count your errors. Your goal is to get below 3 errors per task. Any new mistake goes into the notebook.
What should I do in the last 3 minutes of each task?
Most candidates reread their writing looking for everything at once: ideas, grammar, spelling. That is too much, and spelling slips through. Instead, do a spelling-only scan:
1. Start with the words from the question. If the question says "accommodation" or "environment", copy the spelling from the question paper. The correct spelling is right in front of you. This sounds obvious, but many students misspell a word that is printed on the same page.
2. Look for your personal list. You know your 15 to 25 problem words. Scan for them only.
3. Check every number word and date. In Task 1, check "February", "Wednesday", "per cent", "approximately", "thousand", "million".
4. Check the confused pairs. Their/there, its/it's, affect/effect, than/then.
5. Check word endings. Plural -s, past -ed, and -ly on adverbs ("significant" vs "significantly").
On paper, if you need to fix a word, cross it out with one clean line and write the correct word above it. Do not scribble. A clear correction is fine; an unreadable one is not.
Should I avoid difficult words so I don't misspell them?
Partly yes, partly no. Lexical Resource rewards a wider vocabulary, so writing only simple words can also limit your band. But using a fancy word you cannot spell is a bad trade.
A simple rule: use a less common word only if you have spelled it correctly at least three times in practice. Until then, choose the simpler word you know.
| Risky if you are not sure | Safe alternative |
|---|---|
| unprecedented | never seen before |
| conscientious | careful, hard-working |
| indispensable | essential |
| acquaintance | someone you know |
| phenomenon (and plural phenomena) | trend, event |
As your notebook grows, move words from the left column to your active list once you can spell them every time.
A quick example: before and after
Here is a short Task 1 sentence with typical errors:
"The proportion of goverment spending on enviroment rose significally in Febuary, reaching aproximately 12 percent, wich was higher then the previous year."
Errors: goverment, enviroment, significally, Febuary, aproximately, wich, then. That is seven errors in one sentence.
Corrected:
"The proportion of government spending on the environment rose significantly in February, reaching approximately 12 percent, which was higher than the previous year."
Same ideas, same vocabulary, same grammar. The only change is spelling, and the sentence now reads like Band 7 or above instead of Band 5.
Your next step
Today, take your last two practice essays and underline every spelling mistake. Write each one in a notebook with the correct form and the reason you got it wrong. Tomorrow, start the 10-minute daily handwriting routine with those words. Turn off spell-check for every practice session from now on, and use the 3-minute spelling scan at the end of every timed task. In four weeks, compare your error count with today's.
FAQ
Does IELTS computer-delivered test have spell-check?
No. The computer test has no spell-check and no autocorrect, so practise with those tools turned off.
Can I mix British and American spelling in IELTS?
Both systems are accepted, but mixing them in the same essay looks inconsistent. Choose one and use it all the way through.
How many spelling mistakes are allowed for Band 7?
There is no fixed number. Band 7 describes occasional errors and Band 8 rare errors, so the aim is to keep mistakes to one or two per task.