IELTS Speaking — Pronunciation
- Speaking
- Pronunciation
What Is Pronunciation?
Official Definition of Pronunciation
"Pronunciation refers to the ability to produce comprehensible speech to fulfill the Speaking test requirements."
(Source: https://www.ielts.org/)
Pronunciation Criteria by Band
- Uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety
- Sustains flexible use of features throughout
- Is effortless to understand
- Uses a wide range of pronunciation features
- Sustains flexible use of features, with only occasional lapses
- Is easy to understand throughout; L1 accent has minimal effect on intelligibility
- Shows all the positive features of Band 6 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 8
- Uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control
- Shows some effective use of features but this is not sustained
- Can generally be understood throughout, though mispronunciation of individual words or sounds reduces clarity at times
- Shows all the positive features of Band 4 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 6
- Uses a limited range of pronunciation features
- Attempts to control features but lapses are frequent
- Mispronunciations are frequent and cause some difficulty for the listener
- Shows some of the features of Band 2 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 4
- Speech is often unintelligible
Key Concept 1 Mispronunciation
Definition of Mispronunciation
- Individual sounds and words that are produced incorrectly
When It Becomes a Problem
When it causes difficulty understanding
Key Concept 2 Pronunciation Features
Pronunciation has two main features.
Intonation
The rise and fall of pitch in the voice
Stress — Two Types
Word Stress: One syllable is slightly louder, longer, and has a different pitch
Sentence Stress: A whole word within a sentence is emphasized
Word Stress Example — "contract"
Even words with the same spelling can have different meanings depending on where the stress falls.
Sentence Stress Example — "I didn't tell her that."
The meaning of a sentence changes completely depending on which word is stressed.
Key Concept 3 The Meaning of "Understood Throughout"
The level of intelligibility is expressed by band as follows:
The Standard for Assessment
The standard is what a native speaker with no experience talking to foreigners would understand when listening.
Key Tips for Improving Pronunciation
Practice
- Shadowing practice
- Read aloud
- Practice with native speakers
Practice Listening for Stress
Listen for word stress and sentence stress in native speakers' speech
Use Speech Recognition Software
Use speech recognition software to check your own pronunciation