Hi, I’m Daniel Hughes, and pronunciation is my favourite part of IELTS Speaking to teach.
Why? Because this is where your voice truly matters. Your pronunciation and intonation show not just how clearly you can speak, but how naturally and confidently you communicate.
In the IELTS Speaking test, pronunciation counts for 25% of your total score, according to the British Council’s IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors. Let’s explore how to make your speech clear, expressive, and easy for examiners to understand — without trying to copy a native accent.
Pronunciation refers to how correctly and clearly you say words.
Intonation refers to the rise and fall of your voice when speaking — the music of your speech.
Together, they make your English sound fluent and engaging. The IELTS test format on IELTS.org explains that candidates are assessed on how easy they are to understand rather than on their accent. That means you can keep your own accent — clarity is what really matters.
You’re graded on three key aspects:
Area | What Examiners Listen For |
Clarity | Are your words pronounced correctly and easy to follow? |
Word & Sentence Stress | Do you stress the right syllables and words naturally? |
Intonation & Rhythm | Does your voice rise and fall appropriately to convey meaning? |
To earn Band 7 or higher, your pronunciation should be clear, consistent, and natural.
You can hear examples of this on the IDP IELTS Speaking sample videos, which show how different accents can still score highly when pronunciation is clear.
English words often have one strong syllable. If you stress the wrong one, the meaning can change.
For example:
Word | Correct Stress |
Photograph | PHO-to-graph |
Photographer | pho-TOG-ra-pher |
Photography | pho-TOG-ra-phy |
Try saying these aloud slowly, exaggerating the stressed syllable.
As the British Council’s pronunciation practice resources show, training your ear for stress patterns makes speech smoother and easier to understand.
In every English sentence, some words are stressed (content words) and others are weaker (grammar words).
For example:
“I went to the cinema last night.”
The strong stress falls on went, cinema, and night, while to, the, and last are weaker.
This rhythm gives English its natural flow.
A good way to practise is by shadowing — listening to a short audio clip (for instance, from IELTS.org’s sample test questions) and repeating it exactly, matching stress and tone.
Intonation adds emotion and structure to your speech:
Purpose | Tone Pattern | Example |
Questions | Rising ↗ | Do you like reading? |
Statements | Falling ↘ | I enjoy reading in my free time. |
Uncertainty | Rising–falling ↗↘ | Maybe, I’m not sure yet. |
Lists | Rising until the last item | I bought apples, oranges, and bananas. |
Using a range of intonation patterns helps you sound engaged and confident.
It also makes your responses more listener-friendly, which examiners always notice.
Many learners worry their accent will lower their score — but that’s a myth.
IELTS examiners are trained to understand a wide range of global English accents.
As long as your pronunciation is clear and consistent, your accent doesn’t matter.
The IELTS.org official FAQ confirms that examiners only penalise pronunciation if it causes misunderstanding, not because of where you’re from.
So rather than trying to “sound British” or “sound American,” focus on:
Listen to short English clips (such as BBC Learning English interviews) and repeat them line by line. Focus on rhythm and tone.
Record your voice during practice. Compare it with model answers on the IDP IELTS Speaking page and note the differences in stress and intonation.
Practise words that differ by one sound, like bit / beat or ship / sheep. This sharpens your pronunciation awareness.
Try lines like “She sells seashells by the seashore.” They improve articulation and mouth movement.
Examiner: Do you prefer listening to music at home or at concerts?
Candidate: I prefer listening at concerts, actually. The energy there is incredible!
Examiner: Why is that?
Candidate: Well, the atmosphere just makes the music come alive. You can feel every beat — it’s completely different from listening on headphones.
Notice how the candidate’s intonation rises on “actually” and “Why is that?”, and falls naturally to end each idea. This makes the speech sound confident and expressive — a clear Band 8 feature.
After each practice, ask yourself:
1️⃣ Does accent affect my IELTS Speaking score?
No. Examiners assess clarity and pronunciation, not your accent.
2️⃣ What is the difference between pronunciation and intonation?
Pronunciation is how you say words; intonation is how your voice moves to express meaning.
3️⃣ How can I practise pronunciation at home?
Shadow short videos from BBC Learning English or IDP IELTS Speaking samples.
4️⃣ Is it okay to pause or self-correct?
Yes — as long as you do it smoothly. Examiners expect natural conversation, not perfection.
5️⃣ What if I mispronounce one word?
Don’t panic. Continue speaking confidently — small slips won’t harm your score if overall clarity remains high.
Good pronunciation and intonation turn fluent English into effective communication. Focus on clear sounds, natural stress, and expressive tone — your examiner will understand you better and enjoy listening to you.
Next, move on to Speaking Band Descriptors Explained to see how pronunciation fits into the full IELTS marking system.
If you’re new to the test, revisit the IELTS Speaking Overview to connect all four criteria together — fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
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