IELTS Speaking Common Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Most IELTS speaking candidates don’t fail because their English is bad. They fail because of a handful of predictable, fixable habits that quietly drag their score down. If you’re sitting the exam soon, this post is going to save you some pain.

Let’s go through the most common mistakes, explain exactly why they hurt your score, and give you something concrete to practise with.

The Mistakes Examiners See Every Single Day

1. Memorised answers

Examiners are trained to spot scripted responses. If your answer to “Describe a person you admire” sounds like you rehearsed it in front of a mirror for three weeks, the examiner will redirect you mid-answer. Worse, memorised responses usually don’t actually answer the question asked. You lose marks for coherence and lexical resource at the same time.

The fix: practise topics, not answers. Know your vocabulary around family, work, technology, and travel. Then respond naturally to whatever question comes.

2. Answering in one sentence

Part 1 questions are short, but that doesn’t mean your answers should be. “Yes, I like sport” is not an answer. It’s a reflex. Examiners want to hear you use language, so give them the chance.

A better approach: answer, give a reason, add a small detail or example. Three moves, every time.

“Yes, I enjoy sport, particularly swimming. I find it’s one of the few activities where I can completely switch off from work.”

That’s still a short answer. But it shows range.

3. Filler phrases used as a crutch

“You know”, “like”, “basically”, “how to say” — everyone uses fillers. The problem is when they become load-bearing walls in your sentences. One or two is fine. Ten in a two-minute response signals that you’re struggling to find language, and that costs you fluency marks.

Replace weak fillers with thinking phrases that sound more considered: “That’s an interesting point”, “Let me think about that for a moment”, or simply a short pause. Silence is not failure.

4. Ignoring pronunciation clarity

You are not marked on your accent. You are marked on whether you’re easy to understand. There’s a real difference. Candidates often focus all their energy on vocabulary and grammar, then mumble through their answers at speed. Slow down by about 15%. Stress the right syllables. That alone can shift your pronunciation score noticeably.

5. Vocabulary that never varies

Using “good”, “bad”, “nice”, and “important” for every idea is the fastest way to cap yourself at Band 6. Examiners are specifically looking for less common vocabulary used accurately. You don’t need obscure words. You need better everyday words.

Instead of “it was a good experience”, try “it turned out to be really rewarding” or “it was quite an eye-opening experience”. Same idea, stronger impression.

This kind of vocabulary work is exactly what daily coaching sessions are built around — practising real responses under exam conditions with feedback. For more details, click here.

Worked Examples

Here are two versions of the same Part 2 response opening. The topic: Describe a time you had to solve a difficult problem at work.

Weak version:

“I want to talk about a time when I had a problem at my job. It was very difficult and I had to think about it a lot. In the end, I solved it and my boss was happy.”

Stronger version:

“I’d like to describe a situation from about two years ago when a key supplier pulled out of a contract at short notice. It put the whole project timeline at risk, and I had to find an alternative within 48 hours. It was stressful, but it taught me a lot about staying calm under pressure.”

The second version uses specific detail, natural collocations (“pulled out of a contract”, “at short notice”, “at risk”), and a reflective closing line. It sounds like a person telling a real story, not reciting a template.

Practice Exercise

Rewrite each weak sentence to make it more natural and more varied in vocabulary. Aim for one to two sentences per answer.

1. “I think technology is very good for society.”
2. “My job is sometimes difficult but I like it.”
3. “I went to a place last year. It was nice.”
4. “In my country, people eat a lot of different food. It is important.”
5. “I solved the problem and everything was fine.”

Try writing your answers before you check anything. Say them out loud too — that’s the actual test, after all.

This kind of structured rewriting and spoken practice is what we work through in daily coaching sessions. If you want real-time feedback on your responses, here’s how the coaching works.

Vocabulary to Know

• lexical resource /ˈleksɪkəl rɪˈzɔːs/ – Level: B2 – the range and accuracy of vocabulary a speaker uses, one of the four IELTS speaking assessment criteria – Example: Her lexical resource was impressive — she avoided repeating the same adjectives throughout.
• coherence /kəʊˈhɪərəns/ – Level: B2 – the quality of being logical and clearly connected – Example: His answer lacked coherence because he jumped between topics without any linking.
• filler phrase /ˈfɪlə freɪz/ – Level: B1 – a word or phrase used to fill pauses in speech, such as “you know” or “like” – Example: Using too many filler phrases can make you sound less confident than you are.
• eye-opening /ˈaɪ əʊpənɪŋ/ – Level: B2 – surprising and revealing, causing you to see something in a new way – Example: Working abroad was an eye-opening experience that changed how I think about communication.
• at short notice /æt ʃɔːt ˈnəʊtɪs/ – Level: B1 – with very little time to prepare or respond – Example: The client asked us to reschedule the presentation at short notice, which caused some stress.
• pull out of /pʊl aʊt ɒv/ – Level: B1 – to withdraw from an agreement, deal, or commitment – Example: The investor pulled out of the deal at the last minute, leaving the team scrambling.
• under pressure /ˈʌndə ˈpreʃə/ – Level: B1 – in a situation that is stressful or demanding – Example: She performs well under pressure, which is exactly what we need in a project manager.
• rewarding /rɪˈwɔːdɪŋ/ – Level: B1 – giving a feeling of satisfaction or achievement – Example: Teaching can be exhausting, but it’s one of the most rewarding careers I can imagine.
• redirect /ˌriːdɪˈrekt/ – Level: B2 – to change the focus or direction of something, such as a conversation – Example: The examiner redirected the candidate when her answer drifted off topic.
• collocation /ˌkɒləˈkeɪʃən/ – Level: C1 – a pair or group of words that naturally and frequently appear together in a language – Example: “Make a decision” is a collocation — you wouldn’t say “do a decision” in natural English.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my accent affect my IELTS speaking score?

No. The IELTS speaking criteria do not penalise you for having a regional or non-native accent. What matters is clarity: can the examiner understand you without effort? Work on word stress and pace rather than trying to sound like someone you’re not.

How long should my Part 1 answers be?

There’s no fixed word count, but aim for two to four sentences. Answer the question, give a reason or example, and stop. Don’t pad. Examiners ask Part 1 questions quickly, so short and natural is better than long and rambling.

Is it okay to ask the examiner to repeat a question?

Yes, absolutely. Saying “Sorry, could you repeat that?” or “I’m not sure I understood — do you mean…?” is completely fine and does not cost you marks. Answering the wrong question because you guessed, on the other hand, does.

Work On This With a Coach

Reading about mistakes is useful. Catching yourself making them in real time, with someone giving you immediate feedback, is what actually moves your score. That’s what the daily coaching sessions at richardg.xyz are for. Find out how it works here.