Guides
One page per question people actually type into a search box. Each guide answers its own title first, in plain sentences, then shows the one thing in the app that solves exactly that problem, and only then goes into the full detail. Start with the group that matches the situation you are in.
106 guides · each one answers its question in the first hundred words
Problems
One thing that is going wrong in your preparation, and what to do about it.
Collocations for IELTS Writing and Speaking: types and errors
Collocations for IELTS Writing and Speaking: five types, Task 1 and Task 2 pairs, spoken pairs, wrong and right pairs, and how to learn and check them.
Concise writing for IELTS Writing: cutting padding, keeping the ideas
How to write concisely in IELTS Writing: cut memorised openers, doubled words and wordy phrases, fix repetition, keep every idea, with a worked example.
Punctuation for IELTS Writing: commas, full stops and apostrophes
How punctuation is marked in IELTS Writing: full stops and comma splices, commas by job, apostrophes, capitals, Task 1 numbers and years, and a final check.
Fillers, pauses and self-correction in IELTS Speaking: what is fine
Fillers in IELTS Speaking: normal pauses, when well and let me think help, when repeated uh and constant self-correction cost fluency, and how to practise.
How to answer yes/no questions in IELTS Speaking, with examples
How to answer closed questions like Do you like...? in IELTS Speaking Parts 1 and 3: answer, reason or detail, then stop. Covers it depends and an honest no.
IELTS Speaking pronunciation: the features to practise, and how
What the IELTS Pronunciation criterion listens for, as a practice plan: word stress, rhythm, chunking, intonation, connected speech and the sounds that matter.
Linking words for IELTS Speaking: spoken markers by job, not by list
Linking words for IELTS Speaking: spoken markers for reasons, contrast, examples and conclusions, how to signpost Part 2, why written linkers sound rehearsed.
Articles in IELTS: a, an and the in Writing and Speaking
How to use a, an, the and no article in IELTS Writing and Speaking: the rules by job, Task 1 and Task 2 patterns, and the article errors a reader notices.
Conditionals for IELTS Writing and Speaking: types, uses and errors
Conditionals in IELTS Writing and Speaking: zero, first, second, third and mixed, what each does in an argument, unless, provided that and the errors.
Countable and uncountable nouns for IELTS: rules and common errors
Uncountable nouns in IELTS Writing and Speaking: which nouns candidates pluralise by mistake, much and many, amount and number, and nouns that work both ways.
Dependent prepositions for IELTS Writing and Speaking: patterns
Dependent prepositions in IELTS Writing and Speaking: verb, adjective and noun patterns, Task 1 change language, translation errors and how to learn them.
Complex sentences for IELTS Writing and Speaking: types and errors
What a complex sentence is, which subordinators do which job, why length is not complexity, and how to fix run-ons and the "Although... but" error in IELTS.
IELTS grammar: what Grammatical Range and Accuracy asks for
How IELTS marks grammar in Speaking and Writing: range and accuracy pulling against each other, what bands 5 to 8 ask for, and where to practise each structure.
Passive voice in IELTS Writing: when to use it and when not to
The passive voice suits process diagrams and formal claims, and it hurts when the agent matters. Forms across tenses, the impersonal passive and common errors.
Relative clauses for IELTS Writing and Speaking: rules and errors
Relative clauses in IELTS Writing and Speaking: defining and non-defining, who, which, that, whose, where, the comma rule and the errors that cost marks.
Verb tenses in IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2: which tense, when
Which tense for IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2: the dates on the visual decide in Task 1, the claim decides in Task 2. Includes the present perfect trap.
How to answer Yes/No/Not Given questions in IELTS Reading
Yes/No/Not Given tests the writer's views. Learn to tell the writer's own claim from reported views, hedged from certain claims and No from Not Given.
IELTS flow-chart completion: how to answer it in Listening and Reading
How IELTS flow-chart completion works in Listening and Reading: reading the steps, signpost words, word class of each gap, the word limit, spelling and traps.
An IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay at Band 6, 7 and 8
One invented IELTS Task 2 advantages and disadvantages question answered three times, at Band 6, 7 and 8, with annotated phrases and what moved the band.
An IELTS agree or disagree essay at Band 6, 7 and 8
One invented IELTS Task 2 agree or disagree prompt answered at Band 6, 7 and 8 with the same ideas, every marked phrase annotated, and what moves the band.
An IELTS discuss both views essay at Band 6, 7 and 8
One invented IELTS Task 2 discuss both views prompt answered at Band 6, 7 and 8 with the same opinion, annotated phrase by phrase, and why the bands differ.
An IELTS problem and solution essay at Band 6, 7 and 8
One invented IELTS Task 2 problem and solution question answered three times, at Band 6, 7 and 8, with every key phrase annotated and what moved the band.
An IELTS two-part question essay at Band 6, 7 and 8
One invented IELTS Task 2 two-part question answered at Band 6, 7 and 8 with the same ideas, annotated phrase by phrase, and what separates the bands.
How to manage your time in IELTS Writing
How to split the 60 minutes of IELTS Writing across two tasks: about 20 and 40 minutes, time to plan and check, what to do if Task 1 runs over, and a plan.
Common IELTS Writing mistakes and how to fix them
IELTS Writing mistakes that lose marks: too short, off topic, notes, copied text, wrong style, no position, mechanical linking, repeated words, with fixes.
Linking words for IELTS Writing: how Coherence and Cohesion is marked
Linking words are only part of the Coherence and Cohesion criterion. What bands 6 and 7 reward, which linkers do which job, and the traps that lose marks.
IELTS Writing Task 1: line graphs, bar charts, pie charts and tables
How to describe a line graph, bar chart, pie chart or table in IELTS Writing Task 1: the overview, choosing key features, trend language and the traps to avoid.
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: how to write the letter
The IELTS General Training Task 1 letter: choose the style, cover all three bullet points, use the right openings and closings, and avoid the tone traps.
IELTS Writing Task 1: how to describe process diagrams and maps
How to answer an IELTS Writing Task 1 process diagram or map: the overview, sequence and passive language, location and change language, tense and common traps.
How to answer IELTS Task 2 advantages and disadvantages questions
How to tell outweigh questions from discuss the advantages and disadvantages questions in IELTS Task 2, and how to develop each side with a clear example.
How to answer IELTS Writing Task 2 agree or disagree questions
How to take and keep a clear position in an IELTS Task 2 agree or disagree essay: partial agreement that works, fence-sitting that does not, and a plan.
How to answer IELTS Writing Task 2 discuss both views questions
How to handle IELTS Task 2 discuss both views and give your opinion questions: two jobs, balanced paragraphs, where your opinion goes and the traps to avoid.
How to answer IELTS Writing Task 2 problem and solution questions
How to read IELTS Task 2 problem and solution questions, match each solution to a cause or problem instead of listing, and develop fewer points in more depth.
How to answer IELTS Task 2 questions that ask two things
How to spot an IELTS Writing Task 2 question with two parts, answer both in full and plan the paragraphs, with an invented prompt, outline and sample paragraph.
IELTS Writing word count: the 150 and 250 word minimums
What the IELTS Writing word count means: at least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2, no published maximum, how words are counted, and a safe target range.
How to answer True/False/Not Given questions in IELTS Reading
Learn what True, False and Not Given really mean in IELTS Reading, why candidates confuse False with Not Given, and a step-by-step method with worked examples.
How to finish IELTS Reading in 60 minutes
How to manage the 60 minutes of IELTS Reading: about 20 minutes a passage, what to read first, when to leave a question, and a minute-by-minute plan to try.
IELTS Listening common mistakes and the traps behind them
The IELTS Listening mistakes that cost marks: self-corrections, rejected options, paraphrase, spelling, word limits and a lost place, each with an example.
IELTS Listening form, note and table completion: how to fill every gap
Fill IELTS Listening form, note, table, flow-chart and sentence gaps correctly: predict the kind of word, obey the word limit, spell names, numbers and plurals.
IELTS Listening map, plan and diagram labelling: how not to get lost
Label IELTS Listening maps, plans and diagrams: orient yourself before the recording, learn the language of directions and follow the speaker's route.
IELTS Listening multiple choice and matching: beating the distractors
Answer IELTS Listening multiple choice and matching questions: read the options first, spot the changed mind and rejected option, and track speakers in Part 3.
Why IELTS Listening Parts 3 and 4 are harder, and how to cope
Parts 3 and 4 of IELTS Listening ask you to follow a discussion and then a lecture. Track speakers, separate opinion from fact, and use signposts and stress.
IELTS Reading completion questions and the word limit explained
How IELTS Reading completion questions work: sentence, summary, note, table, flow-chart and diagram tasks, the word limit, spelling and the traps to avoid.
IELTS Reading matching headings: tips, method and common traps
Matching headings tests the main idea of each paragraph, not its details. Learn a four-step method, see a worked example and avoid the traps that cost marks.
IELTS Reading matching information, features and sentence endings
Three IELTS Reading matching tasks explained: which paragraph contains a detail, which person said what, and how to join sentence beginnings to endings.
IELTS Reading multiple choice and short-answer questions
Why IELTS Reading multiple choice options mislead, how to pick the right one or several, and how to answer short-answer questions inside the word limit.
Is Duolingo good for IELTS Speaking? An honest answer for 2026
Duolingo never mentions IELTS in its own listings. What it is genuinely good for, what IELTS Speaking needs that it does not claim, and what to add alongside it.
How billing works in IELTS Mentor AI: credits, renewal and cancelling
How IELTS Mentor AI billing actually works — credits, when you're charged, how renewal works, and how to cancel on iPhone or Android.
Paid, but the app still looks locked? How to restore your purchase
Paid for an app but premium isn't unlocked? Here's why that happens and the exact steps to restore your purchase on iPhone or Android.
Before you pay for an IELTS app: a 10-point checklist
A 10-point checklist to run through before paying for any IELTS speaking or writing app, covering subscriptions, refunds, support, scope and what its feedback actually shows.
Does your accent lower your IELTS Speaking score?
What the Pronunciation criterion actually measures, why a first-language accent alone doesn't cap your band, what genuinely reduces clarity, and how some apps mis-grade accents.
An IELTS speaking app that explains your mistakes, not just marks them
What a real explanation of an IELTS Speaking mistake needs to include, why being marked wrong with no reason doesn't help on test day, and how to check any app's feedback yourself.
IELTS Speaking Band 5 to Band 6: what has to change
What actually has to move to go from IELTS Speaking Band 5 to Band 6: the exact criterion arithmetic, what IELTS does and does not publish about rounding, and which criterion most often lags behind.
IELTS Speaking Band 6 to Band 6.5: what has to change
What actually has to move to go from IELTS Speaking Band 6 to Band 6.5: the exact criterion arithmetic, what IELTS does and does not publish about rounding, and which criterion most often lags behind.
IELTS Speaking Band 6.5 to Band 7: what has to change
What actually has to move to go from IELTS Speaking Band 6.5 to Band 7: the exact criterion arithmetic, what IELTS does and does not publish about rounding, and which criterion most often lags behind.
IELTS Speaking Band 7 to Band 7.5: what has to change
What actually has to move to go from IELTS Speaking Band 7 to Band 7.5: the exact criterion arithmetic, what IELTS does and does not publish about rounding, and which criterion most often lags behind.
IELTS Speaking Band 7.5 to Band 8: what has to change
What actually has to move to go from IELTS Speaking Band 7.5 to Band 8: the exact criterion arithmetic, what IELTS does and does not publish about rounding, and which criterion most often lags behind.
How to practise IELTS Speaking alone (without a partner)
Practise IELTS Speaking on your own with recordings, a real cue-card timer, a full browser mock, question banks and an honest self-check.
Speaking app not picking up your voice? Fixes that work on iPhone and Android
A working-through-the-list guide to fixing a speaking app that won't detect your voice, covering mic permissions, Bluetooth, silent mode, background noise and when it isn't your phone.
Alternatives and comparisons
What to use instead, and how the options genuinely differ once you try them.
IELTS Mentor AI vs IELTS Test Pro for Reading and Listening (2026)
IELTS Test Pro is a phone practice app with Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing sections and an AI band estimate for Writing. IELTS Mentor AI is a paid app whose full Reading and Listening tests are marked the moment you finish. The differences, from both stores' own listings.
IELTS Mentor AI vs Writing9 for IELTS Writing (2026)
Writing9 is a browser checker for IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 that returns one band score. IELTS Mentor AI is a paid phone app for all four skills with a band range. The differences, from both products' own pages.
ELSA Speak vs Speechful for IELTS, and a third option (2026)
ELSA Speak is a general AI pronunciation coach on iOS and Android; Speechful is a web AI IELTS examiner for Speaking, Writing and Reading. How they differ.
IELTS Ready vs IELTS by IDP, and a third option (2026)
IELTS Ready is British Council's web platform for scored practice and courses; IELTS by IDP is IDP's app for preparation, booking and results. How they differ.
SmallTalk2Me vs ELSA Speak for IELTS Speaking, and a third option (2026)
SmallTalk2Me is an IELTS Speaking simulator in a browser; ELSA Speak is a general pronunciation coach in apps. What each says about itself, and a third option.
SmallTalk2Me vs Stimuler for IELTS Speaking, and a third option (2026)
SmallTalk2Me is a browser simulator, Stimuler a phone app; both describe AI-scored IELTS Speaking mocks. What each says about itself, dated, and a third option.
Stimuler vs ELSA Speak for IELTS Speaking, and a third option (2026)
Stimuler is an English speaking app with an IELTS layer; ELSA Speak is a general pronunciation coach. What each says about itself, dated, and a third option.
IELTS Mentor AI vs ELSA Speak for IELTS Speaking (2026)
ELSA Speak is a general AI pronunciation and speaking coach that names IELTS as one of several exams. IELTS Mentor AI is a paid app built for the IELTS test in all four skills. The differences, from both products' own pages.
IELTS Mentor AI vs SmallTalk2Me for IELTS Speaking (2026)
SmallTalk2Me is a browser simulator for IELTS Speaking Parts 1 to 3 with a single predicted band. IELTS Mentor AI is a paid phone app for all four skills with a band range. The differences, from both products' own pages.
IELTS Mentor AI vs Stimuler for IELTS preparation (2026)
Stimuler is an AI speaking app on iOS and Android with IELTS mock tests and, per its site, Writing and Reading. IELTS Mentor AI is a paid app for all four skills with a band range. The differences, from both products' own pages.
italki alternatives for IELTS Speaking in 2026
italki is a human-tutor marketplace, not an IELTS scorer. Six alternatives compared on what each listing claims - a human in the loop, band scoring, or both.
Preply alternatives for IELTS Speaking in 2026
Preply is a human-tutor platform, not an IELTS scorer. Six alternatives compared by how many IELTS papers each product's own pages claim to score.
SmallTalk2Me alternatives for IELTS Speaking in 2026
SmallTalk2Me runs in a browser with no app to install. Six IELTS Speaking alternatives compared by how completely their listings cover iPhone and Android.
Stimuler alternatives for IELTS Speaking in 2026
Stimuler covers Speaking, Writing and Reading on both phone stores. Five alternatives compared on how precisely each names the official IELTS criteria.
TalkDrill alternatives for IELTS Speaking in 2026
TalkDrill mixes AI practice, peer rooms and human coaches on Android and web. Five alternatives compared on which describe one continuous, timed Parts 1-3 mock.
Cambly alternatives for IELTS Speaking practice
Cambly is live human-tutor conversation, not an AI IELTS scorer. Compare it fairly against IELTS-specific apps that run a full scored Speaking mock today.
ELSA Speak alternatives for IELTS Speaking
ELSA Speak is a general AI pronunciation coach, not an IELTS scorer. Compare honest, fact-checked alternatives built specifically for IELTS Speaking prep.
Praktika alternatives for IELTS preparation
Praktika is a general AI avatar conversation app that lists IELTS as one topic among many. Here are honest alternatives built for IELTS specifically today.
Speak app alternatives for IELTS
Speak: Language Learning is a general AI conversation app for six languages, not an IELTS scorer. Here are honest alternatives built for the exam itself.
Talkpal alternatives for IELTS Speaking
Talkpal is a general AI conversation app across 130+ languages, not an IELTS scorer. Compare honest, IELTS-specific alternatives for Speaking practice.
Roundups
Everything worth knowing on one question, gathered into a single page.
The best IELTS mock test apps in 2026: full tests in all four skills, compared honestly
Which apps and websites claim a full IELTS mock test across Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking in 2026, what a real mock has to include, and where each one runs.
The best IELTS Writing feedback apps and essay checkers in 2026, compared honestly
Twelve IELTS Writing checkers and apps compared by what their own sites claim in 2026 — which tasks they mark, whether they name the four Writing criteria, and where each one runs.
What AI assistants recommend for IELTS: the October 2026 check
Which IELTS apps ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity name first, which sources they cite, and where IELTS Mentor AI stands, from 546 answers read on 2 October 2026.
IELTS test-taker statistics 2024 to 2025: average bands by country, first language and skill
IELTS.org's 2024 to 2025 data: mean bands by nationality and first language for Academic and General Training, the skill pattern, and who reaches Band 7.0.
IELTS Writing test: Task 1, Task 2, the four criteria and how it is scored
The IELTS Writing test on one page: 60 minutes, two tasks, word minimums, Academic and General Training Task 1, Task 2, four criteria and how it is reported.
IELTS Academic Reading test: format, 11 question types and scoring
IELTS Academic Reading on one page: 60 minutes, three passages, 40 questions, all 11 question types explained and the raw scores IELTS.org lists per band.
IELTS Listening test: the four parts, six question types and scoring
How IELTS Listening works: four parts, 40 questions, each recording heard once, six question types, the raw scores for bands 5 to 8 and the word-limit rule.
The best IELTS Listening practice apps in 2026, compared honestly
An honest comparison of five IELTS Listening practice tools plus our own — what each one's own listing claims about Listening, checked against what a real four-part test needs to reproduce.
The best IELTS Reading practice apps in 2026, compared honestly
An honest comparison of five IELTS Reading practice tools plus our own — what each one's own listing claims about Reading, checked against what a real Academic Reading paper actually needs.
AI IELTS Speaking mock test apps in 2026, compared by what they claim
Which AI tools claim a full, timed IELTS Speaking mock across Parts 1-3, what a real mock has to include, and which of them you can actually run on an iPhone.
Apps for IELTS cue card practice in 2026, and what Part 2 really needs
Which apps and sites describe cue-card or Part 2 practice in their own listings, what proper Part 2 practice has to include, and where each one runs.
The best IELTS Speaking practice websites in 2026
The IELTS Speaking tools that run in a browser in 2026 — five with no app at all, six that pair a site with an app, and what each one's own website claims.
IELTS pronunciation apps in 2026, and what the criterion actually marks
What the IELTS Pronunciation criterion assesses, which apps claim pronunciation feedback in their own listings, and why accent training is a different job.
IELTS Speaking apps that give a band score, compared in 2026
Which IELTS Speaking apps claim a band score in their own listings, what a trustworthy band estimate actually looks like, and where each one can be used.
The best IELTS Speaking apps in 2026, compared honestly
An honest comparison of 19 IELTS Speaking apps and web tools in 2026 — what each one's own listing claims, and which platforms it actually runs on.
For a situation like yours
Written for one kind of candidate, timeline or goal rather than for everybody.
Preparing for IELTS One Skill Retake: one skill in under 60 days
Preparing for IELTS One Skill Retake after a full IELTS on computer test: one skill half a band short, under 60 days, a phone and no tutor, week by week.
IELTS in four weeks: a plan for all four skills with a fixed date
IELTS in four weeks with a booked date, overall 6.0 or 6.5, 45 to 60 minutes on weekdays, a phone, a laptop and no tutor: a weekly plan for all four skills.
IELTS Writing band 6 to band 7: what changes in each criterion
What separates IELTS Writing band 6 from band 7 on each of the four criteria, how the task score is averaged, where band 6 writers slip, and a four-week plan.
How to practise IELTS Writing at home without a teacher
A weekly routine for practising IELTS Writing at home without a teacher: timed tasks, a four-criteria review, one rewrite, an error log and outside marking.
How to go from IELTS Listening band 6 to band 7
IELTS.org lists 23 marks for Listening band 6 and 30 for band 7, about seven more correct answers out of 40. Where to find them, with a four-week plan.
IELTS Reading band 6 to band 7: what has to change
Academic Reading band 6 is 23 marks and band 7 is 30 on IELTS.org's table. Here is what seven more correct answers takes, and a four-week plan to find them.
The best IELTS Speaking apps for Android in 2026
Which IELTS Speaking apps actually have a Google Play listing in 2026, what each one's listing claims, and which well-known tools you can't get on Android.
The best IELTS Speaking apps for iPhone in 2026
The IELTS Speaking apps that actually have an App Store listing in 2026, what each one claims, and the well-known tools with no iPhone app at all.
IELTS Speaking at Band 4–5: why 'beginner-friendly' apps aren't, and what works
For a Band 4 to 5 Speaking candidate with no teacher: what that level sounds like, why beginner-friendly apps discourage beginners, and what to look for.
IELTS Speaking practice for working adults with 20 minutes a day
For a working adult with twenty minutes a day and no tutor: a 20-minute IELTS Speaking session that fits around a job, a weekly shape and when to fit the mock.
Retaking IELTS Speaking: why the same preparation gives the same score
Resitting IELTS Speaking after a near miss: why the same preparation gives the same score, what a band range explains about a 6.5, and what to change first.
Preparing for IELTS Speaking without a tutor: a self-study plan that gets feedback
Eight to twelve weeks, no tutor, Speaking 5.5 to 6.5: a self-study plan built on feedback loops you can run alone, with a scored mock every two weeks.
Practise this with instant AI feedback
Record your answer in the app and get your grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation analysed in seconds.
Paid app: what it costs · billing and refunds · support