Listening
How IELTS Listening distractors actually work
The recording often gives a wrong answer first. Learn the correction language examiners rely on.
·David Taylor
First answer is often fake
Speakers say a time, a price, or a place — then correct it.
Listen for:
- actually
- sorry, I mean
- no wait
- instead of
- it used to be X, but now
If you write the first number you hear, you are doing what the test is designed to catch.
Multiple choice
Read all options during the pause. During the audio, eliminate. Do not wait for a perfect match of wording — IELTS paraphrases everything.
Transfer and spelling
Wrong spelling is a wrong answer. Plurals matter. If the gap is one word, bus station is already two words unless the instructions allow it.
Practise under timed conditions with the same instructions as the real test, not relaxed YouTube videos.
Next step
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