Pronunciation Skills Training - IELTS Speaking Practise

In order to get a high band in the IELTS speaking test, you don’t need to speak with a British or American accent, but you must be easily understood. Here are a few general tips on how to make your English ‘easier on the examiner’s ears’.

The schwa /əә/

The schwa is an unstressed vowel sound that is found in many English words. It is the most common vowel sound in the English language and it can be spelled in many different ways, for example:

• 'a' in about [əәˈbaʊt]
• 'e' in taken [ˈteɪkəәn]
• 'i' in pencil [ˈpɛnsəәl]
• 'u' in supply [səәˈplaɪ]
• 'o' in provide [prəәˈvaɪd]
• unwritten as in rhythm [ˈrɪðəәm]

Make the schwa with your jaws slightly open, your lips relaxed, and do not move your tongue!

The schwa is represented by unstressed suffixes, for example -er, -ar, -or, -um, -an, - al, -ous, -ough, -our, -and, -ent and -ion.

The schwa is also represented by unstressed prefixes, for example su-, pro-, to-, a-, surand con.

Advanced tip

When native speakers speak at a natural speed, the pronunciation of many words changes and the schwa becomes even more common. In the examples below, the schwa sound is underlined:

1. SLOW SPEECH: I went to a town where there were a lot of tourists.
2. NATURAL SPEECH: I went to a town where there were a lot of tourists.

The pronunciation of unstressed grammatical words such as prepositions, pronouns and auxiliary verbs often changes in natural fast speech. These words include ‘to’, ‘where’, ‘there’, ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘were’, ‘from’, ‘for’, ‘are’, ‘of’, etc. Read the sentences below first slowly and then quickly.

1. How are you?

2. How are they arriving?

3. Where are you going?

4. I’ve just got a present from my brother.

5. Have you ever been to Italy?

6. Do you know where the children are hiding?

7. I’m going to town for an hour or two.

8. I’ve just got back from America.

9. There are lots of interesting cafes in my town.

10. She’s meeting an old friend for lunch.

11. I’m off to the beach. See you later!