Avoid These IELTS Listening Mistakes

❌ 1. Writing Too Early

📍 Example:
You hear:

“The course fee is £16.50 — oh no, sorry, it’s actually £14.50.”

🎯 Fix:
Wait for the speaker to finish the full idea. IELTS often includes corrections to trap early writers.

❌ 2. Ignoring Word Limits

📍 Example:
Instruction: “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”
Your answer: “the final report” → ❌ Too many words.

🎯 Fix:
Underline the instruction before the audio starts. Practise summarising answers briefly.

❌ 3. Not Checking Grammar Fit

📍 Example:
The sentence says: “He’s training to become a _____.”
You write: “driving” → ❌ Doesn’t fit grammatically.

🎯 Fix:
Read the full sentence structure before listening. Use logic, not just ears.

❌ 4. Spelling Mistakes

📍 High-risk areas:

• Names: “Graham” vs “Graeme”
• Places: “Cambridge” vs “Cambrige”
• Numbers: “fifteen” vs “fifty”

🎯 Fix:
Train spelling with:

• 🧠 IELTS Spelling Drills PDF →
• 🎧 Dictation practice in Part 1
• 📋 Weekly error logs

❌ 5. Misreading the Question Type

📍 Example:
You treat a matching task like a multiple choice.
You look for one answer — when two speakers give similar opinions.

🎯 Fix:
Learn the rules and traps of each question type. Use our guide:
🔗 Explore All Listening Question Types →

❌ 6. Panicking After Missing a Question

📍 What happens:
You miss Q12 → panic → lose focus → miss Q13–15 too.
Suddenly you’re down 4 marks.

🎯 Fix:
Mark it, let it go, move on. You have 40 scoring opportunities — don’t let one mistake become five.