IELTS Speaking is considered one of the most challenging parts of the IELTS test.
It evaluates your ability to communicate effectively in English, requiring a balance of several key skills – pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, social interaction, and spontaneity. Many test-takers find it difficult to score high in this section.
In this article, I will walk you through 6 common mistakes that can lower your IELTS Speaking score – and how to avoid them.
1. Memorising Model Answers
These days, there are plenty of IELTS preparation websites that publish forecasted IELTS Speaking questions for each quarter – often with sample answers included. It’s easy to find and memorize them.
However, one of the most common mistakes many test-takers make is memorising these model answers word for word and using them in the test.
The IELTS Speaking test is designed to assess your real communication ability, based on 4 criteria:
- Fluency and coherence
- Lexical resource
- Grammatical range and accuracy
- Pronunciation
If you rely too heavily on memorized answers, examiners can easily tell.
IELTS examiners are trained to recognize when a response sounds rehearsed rather than spontaneous. This can actually lower your score, especially in the Fluency and Coherence criteria.
Instead of memorizing model answers, focus on building your vocabulary and grammar, and practice speaking naturally using your own ideas and experiences.
This approach not only makes your answers more authentic but also helps you perform confidently in any topic.
2. Lacking Confidence and Clarity When Speaking
While memorising answers can make you sound robotic and lower your score, being hesitant or pausing too often can also cost you points in the IELTS Speaking test.
Across all three parts of the test, your responses are evaluated based on four criteria, one of which is Fluency and Coherence. This criterion assesses not only how logically your ideas are connected but also how smoothly you can express them.
The examiner doesn’t expect you to speak like a professional presenter – short pauses are perfectly fine – but you should maintain natural communication through body language, facial expressions, and eye contact to keep the conversation engaging and authentic.
The best way to overcome shyness and build confidence is to practice speaking regularly, even with simple answers.
Try talking to yourself or practicing in front of a mirror – over time, you’ll develop natural gestures and expressions that help you sound more confident and fluent during the test.
3. Repeating the Question and Mispronouncing Words
For test-takers with lower band scores (around 5.0 or below), it’s common to struggle with paraphrasing the question, often due to limited vocabulary and grammar structures. Many simply repeat the question and add extra ideas to complete their answer.
For example:
Do you like music?
Yes, I like music.
Excessive repetition can lead to lower scores in Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, because you are not demonstrating a diverse range of vocabulary or sentence structures.
Here are some great ways to practice paraphrasing for IELTS Speaking:
1. Listen and Rephrase
Watch English videos, podcasts, or YouTube interviews. After each sentence, pause and try to say the same idea in a different way.
Example: “I enjoy traveling to new places.” → “I love exploring different destinations.”
2. Rewrite Sample Answers
Take model IELTS Speaking answers and rewrite them in your own words while keeping the same meaning. This helps you build a flexible vocabulary range.
Example: “I like reading books in my free time.” → “I often spend my spare time with a good book.”
3. Shadow Native Speakers
Repeat what native speakers say, then change a few words or sentence structures to make it sound like your own version.
4. Record and Reflect
- Record your answers to IELTS questions, listen again, and ask yourself:
- Could I express this differently?
- Are there simpler or more natural alternatives?
5. Use Synonym Lists & Collocations
Make a mini notebook of common IELTS words and phrases with 2–3 natural alternatives.
Example: important → essential / vital / crucial
6. Practice with a Partner or AI
Ask someone or use ChatGPT to give you random IELTS questions and challenge yourself to answer the same question twice, using different words each time.
In addition, pronunciation mistakes can also reduce your score. It’s important to note that IELTS Speaking evaluates your ability to pronounce words correctly, not your accent.
Having a British, American, or Australian accent is not required – what matters is clear pronunciation based on standard IPA symbols, which allows the examiner to understand you easily.
To overcome these issues, work on expanding your vocabulary and grammar so you can paraphrase questions naturally.
While learning new words, practice their pronunciation using IPA symbols. This way, you can improve both your vocabulary and pronunciation simultaneously, making your answers more fluent and natural.
4. Overusing Sentence Structures and Phrases
As mentioned earlier, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Lexical Resource assess the diversity of your grammar and vocabulary when answering questions. Overusing the same sentence structures or phrases can lead to lower scores in these two criteria.
For test-takers with lower IELTS Speaking bands, it’s common to see repeated sentence patterns or vocabulary in their responses.
Example: Repeated Sentence Pattern
Question: What do you do in your free time?
Low-band answer:
I like reading books. I like watching movies. I like listening to music.
👉 The pattern “I like + V-ing” is repeated with no variation.
Better answer
In my free time, I usually read novels or watch a good movie to relax. I also enjoy listening to music when I need to unwind after a busy day.
Excessive repetition of structures or phrases shows that your vocabulary and grammar are not varied enough to express your ideas in different ways.
IELTS Notes regularly updates topic-based phrases and sentence structures to help you expand your vocabulary and practice using them naturally. You can check the detailed vocabulary lists updated by IELTS Notes HERE.
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5. Going Off Topic
Another common mistake that can lower your IELTS Speaking score is going off topic or answering a question without addressing its main point.
The IELTS Speaking test consists of three parts:
- Part 1 covers basic questions about familiar topics
- Part 2 usually asks you to describe a story, person, place, or event
- and Part 3 involves more advanced questions related to the Part 2 topic.
It’s easy to go off topic, especially in Part 2 and Part 3, where questions are more complex and may involve broader, abstract ideas.
Going off topic can negatively affect your Fluency and Coherence score, as the examiner will see that your answers lack logical structure.
It can also impact your Lexical Resource score if your vocabulary is insufficient to address the question accurately, leading to answers that miss the point.
To avoid this, take a few seconds before answering to ensure you fully understand the question. Are there any words or phrases you find unclear?
You can even ask the examiner to paraphrase the question to make it easier to understand. This allows you to give a focused, on-topic answer without losing marks in any criterion.
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6. Overusing Linking Words
Many test-takers mistakenly believe that using a lot of linking words such as for instance, for example, however, although will automatically boost their Fluency and Coherence score.
However, having a coherent answer does not mean you need to insert as many linking words as possible to connect your ideas.
Instead, it’s important to control how and when you use linking words and choose the appropriate ones for each context.
Achieving this requires consistent practice, expanding your vocabulary, improving your grammar, and understanding how each linking word is used in specific situations. Proper use of linking words will make your answers sound natural and well-structured, rather than forced or repetitive.
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Conclusion
To achieve a high score in the IELTS Speaking test, you need to combine several key elements, including pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammatical structures, to meet the requirements of each scoring criterion.
At the same time, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that can cost you points, ensuring that your performance is as strong as possible.
The six common mistakes outlined above are frequent pitfalls in the IELTS Speaking test. I hopes that by being aware of these errors, you can avoid them in your own test.
Follow IELTS Notes on various platforms to stay updated with grammar points, vocabulary topics, and carefully compiled exam tips to help you prepare effectively.
