The final chapter: Maya takes the IELTS test. Sixteen words that IELTS candidates often spell wrong — learned four at a time.
Let's start with the story. The highlighted words are the ones to learn. Read slowly. Press 🔊 to hear a part read aloud.
Two years after arriving, Maya decided to apply for a master's degree, which meant taking the IELTS test. Her grammar was accurate and her vocabulary was wide, but she knew from experience that small spelling mistakes could cost her marks. She spent a month on practice papers, learning to analyse each question before writing a single word.
On the morning of the exam she felt surprisingly calm. The listening section went quickly; she checked every answer twice, knowing that a misspelled word would be marked wrong. In the writing section, the essay asked for her opinion on whether universities should teach practical skills. She planned each paragraph carefully and made every sentence earn its place.
Her tutor had told her to emphasise one clear idea and to finish with a conclusion that answered the question directly, so that is exactly what she did. She used linking words such as although and therefore to guide the examiner through her argument, and she tried to persuade rather than simply describe.
Two weeks later, the results arrived. Maya had scored Band 8 overall, with her highest score in the category she had once feared most: writing. She read the email three times before calling her friends. The whole journey — every flat, every job, every presentation — had led to this moment.
What did Maya do that made the biggest difference to her result? Looking back over all six chapters, which moment in her story would you choose as the turning point?
Each word is split into small parts. The yellow part is where people make mistakes. For each word: hear it → say it in parts → read the trick. Then press Hide the words and try to spell all four out loud.
Press 🔊, listen, read the clue, then type the word. If a letter is wrong, you will see which letters are already right. You get a second try before the answer appears.
In IELTS Listening, a correct word that is spelled wrongly scores zero. British and American spellings are both accepted — just be consistent.
Talk about an exam or test that really mattered to you. How did you prepare, and how did it go? Use at least five of the sixteen words. For two of them, spell the word out loud, part by part: "vo – ca – bu – la – ry".
You are booking an exam. Press 🔊 and write the missing word in each gap. Then check.
1. First part of the test: ______
2. Area to practise most: ______
3. Essays must end with a clear ______
4. Maximum length: 60 words per ______
5. Choose one topic ______ from the list
1. listening · 2. grammar · 3. conclusion · 4. paragraph · 5. category
Write four or five sentences: "Some people believe that the best way to learn a language is to live in a country where it is spoken. To what extent do you agree or disagree?" Use and spell correctly: therefore, although, experience, opinion.
You have now met 112 words across six chapters. Which three are still the hardest for you? Go back to their chapters, open Meet the Words, and invent your own memory trick for each one.