Are you still stuck at Band 7 in IELTS Listening? The leap to a band 8 or higher isn’t just about comprehension, it’s more about eliminating phonetic blind spots. The IELTS exam is designed to test your readiness for academic or professional life in an English-speaking country. You must be prepared for the audio in the listening module featuring various global accents. If you only practice with one accent, the other other accents will affect your score.
The Five Accents That Define Your Success
Getting high scores requires accent recognition in the IELTS Listening. The five most important accents are the follows:
- British English: This is a foundation accent for the exam because it frequently features in official announcements, monologues, and formal discussions. It is typically non-rhotic that the ‘r’ at the end of words like ‘teacher’ or ‘car’ is often not pronounced. It is important to focus on the short vowel sounds (e.g., the ‘o’ in ‘hot’ is a cleaner, more open sound) and the intonation patterns common in the academic context.
- Australian/New Zealand English: Due to the origins in Australia, this accent appears regularly in the recordings. The distinct vowel shifts can be tricky for someone who is not familiar with the accent. In order to identify it specifically you need to pay attention to how vowels are pronounced and lengthened. Be ready for the high rising terminal (where the voice rises at the end of a statement), which can momentarily confuse your understanding.
- North American English (US/Canadian): This is the most widely understood accent but it differs from others by being rhotic (the ‘r’ is always pronounced). Listen for the flapped T (where ‘T’ between vowels sounds like a ‘D’, as in ‘water’ to ‘wader’) and the clear consistent pronunciation of the ‘R’ sound, which helps to distinguish it from UK/Australian accents.
- Irish/Scottish English: These accents have variations in rhythm and often use different vowel positions and pronunciations for certain consonants. They are used specifically to test the flexibility in recognizing the spoken English variety. The key to identify various accents is exposure. Practice with specific audio samples to get used to these distinctive rhythms and how they pronounce key sounds like ‘ou’ and ‘i’.
- Non-Native English Speaker Accents: You will frequently hear speakers with accents influenced by their native language (e.g., European, Asian) in the academic and professional sections. This is the reflection of real-world university tutorials and meetings. Ignore any grammatical or heavy phonetic influence and focus exclusively on the content and keywords. The answer structure is there itself and in order to find it, the candidate must listen past unfamiliar sound delivery.
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Mastering various accents and acing the IELTS exam, requires expert training and practice. Tiju’s Academy’s expert trainers will pinpoint and teach you the exact accents and phonetic elements each student struggles with. We are determined to turn your weaknesses into strengths. The mock tests, constant practices, latest curriculum will help you break the band 7 barrier and achieve band score of 8 or more. Your IELTS preparation starts now with Tiju’s Academy- the best IELTS coaching centre in Kerala.
