IELTS Listening spelling, numbers and names: how to get them right

Why spelling and numbers matter

Form, note, table and sentence completion questions in IELTS Listening often ask for exactly the kind of information that is easy to hear but easy to write down wrongly: a surname spelt letter by letter, a phone number, a date, a price, a postcode. These are some of the most winnable marks in the test, which is why IELTS Listening spelling deserves deliberate practice.

An IELTS article for teachers is direct about this: spelling mistakes on the IELTS Listening and Reading tests are marked as wrong. Its example is as small as writing begining with one n. Every Listening question is worth one mark, and IELTS publishes 30 correct answers out of 40 as band 7 and 35 as band 8, so two or three spelling slips can easily cost you half a band.

The official word-limit rules

The official IELTS Listening format sets out these rules for completion and short-answer questions:

• A word limit is given, for example NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER, and the limit can change between sets of questions.
• You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit.
• Contracted words such as they're will not be tested.
• Hyphenated words such as check-in count as single words.
• When you take words from the recording, you do not have to change them in any way.

Here is how the limit works with an example instruction, NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER:

For a wider view of how word limits apply across the test, see our guide to IELTS Listening question types.

How letters are read aloud

Names, street names and postcodes are often spelt out letter by letter, especially in Part 1. The problem is not usually the alphabet itself but the handful of letters that sound alike, especially at speed or in an accent you are less used to. IELTS uses a range of accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand and North American.

Double letters and other spelling conventions

• Speakers often say double before a repeated letter: H-A-double-R-I-S is Harris. Some speakers simply say the letter twice instead, so be ready for both.
• A speaker may confirm a spelling with a word: That's B for bread. Write the letter, not the word.
• The speaker sometimes spells a name once and then corrects it (Sorry, that's I-E, not E-I). Always write the final version.
• If a name is spelt out, it is almost certainly an answer. Write it letter by letter as you hear it; do not try to remember the whole word and write it afterwards.

Numbers, dates, times and prices

Numbers that sound alike

The classic trap is the -teen and -ty pair: thirteen and thirty, fourteen and forty, fifteen and fifty, and so on. In careful speech the stress falls on the end of the -teen numbers (thir-TEEN) and on the start of the -ty numbers (THIR-ty), and the -teen numbers have a longer final sound. Practise hearing the difference, and use the context: a 30-minute bus ride is more plausible than a 13-minute flight.

Phone numbers and codes

• Zero may be said as oh, zero or, less often, nought.
• Repeated digits may be said as double five (55) or triple three (333).
• Long numbers are usually read in groups. Write as you listen, leaving a small gap between groups so you can check the count of digits afterwards.
• Postcodes mix letters and numbers, as in a British-style postcode such as TR4 9GL. Listen for each character separately.

Dates

Dates can be spoken as the fifth of June, June the fifth or June fifth. Write the date clearly and unambiguously, for example 5 June. Avoid all-number formats such as 05/06, which mean different dates in different countries. Spell the month correctly: February and Wednesday are both easy to misspell.

Times and prices

Writing numbers as figures is quicker than writing them as words and removes the risk of a spelling mistake in a word like fourty (the correct spelling is forty). Many candidates find figures easier to check, too. Our lesson on prepositions for numbers and data helps with phrases like at, by and from … to.

Plurals and word forms

Because IELTS says you do not have to change the words from the recording, write exactly the form you hear. The common risk is the plural -s, which is easy to miss when the next word begins with a similar sound.

• Check the gap's grammar. Visitors should bring two …… needs a plural. a …… needs a singular.
• Listen for the -s or -es sound at the end of nouns, and note irregular plurals (children, people, women).
• Uncountable nouns have no plural: equipment, furniture, information, accommodation. Writing equipments is a mistake. Our lesson on countable and uncountable nouns covers the common ones.

Words that are often misspelt

Completion answers in Parts 1 and 2 often involve everyday topics such as travel, accommodation, shopping and local services. The words below are useful in those contexts and are frequently misspelt. Learn them until you can write them without thinking.

A method that works for many learners is look, cover, write, check: look at the word, cover it, write it from memory, then compare. Repeat until you have spelt it correctly twice. Our IELTS vocabulary lessons group useful words by topic if you want to build a longer list.

A dictation drill you can do today

Ask a friend to read the items below aloud in random order, or record yourself reading them and play them back a day later. Write each one under a two-word-and/or-a-number limit, then check your spelling, digits and format.

1. My surname is Fairweather: F-A-I-R-W-E-A-T-H-E-R.
2. The reference number is K, double seven, oh, four, nine.
3. It starts on the nineteenth of February.
4. The ferry leaves at a quarter past six.
5. It's fifteen pounds fifty for adults.
6. We meet at the community centre on Thursdays.
7. The postcode is B-S-eight, four-Q-X.
8. You'll need a waterproof jacket and walking boots.

Suggested answers: 1 Fairweather; 2 K77049; 3 19 February; 4 6.15; 5 £15.50; 6 community centre; 7 BS8 4QX; 8 walking boots (or waterproof jacket, depending on the question). If you made a mistake, note which category it was in: letters, numbers, dates, plurals or spelling.

A final checklist

• Is the answer within the word limit for that set of questions?
• Is every word spelt correctly, including names spelt out in the recording?
• Does a plural gap have a plural answer?
• Are numbers, dates and times clear and unambiguous?
• Have you written the final version, not the one the speaker corrected?
• Have you guessed rather than left anything blank? An IELTS article advises this, as wrong answers do not lose marks.

For map and plan questions, where the answers are letters rather than words, see our guide to map labelling. For accuracy across the whole test, our list of common IELTS mistakes is worth reading before test day.

Do spelling mistakes lose marks in IELTS Listening?

Yes. An IELTS article for teachers states that spelling mistakes on the Listening and Reading tests are marked as wrong. Even a single missing letter can cost the mark.

Does a number count as a word?

Instructions such as NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER treat the number separately from the words, so 12 March fits that limit. Read the instructions for each set, as the limit can change.

Do hyphenated words count as one word?

Yes. IELTS says hyphenated words such as check-in count as single words.

Will I have to write contractions like they're?

No. IELTS says contracted words such as they're will not be tested.

Should I use British or American spelling?

Stride could not find a clear statement on this on the official IELTS pages we checked. The safest approach is to be consistent and to spell any word that is spelt out in the recording exactly as you hear it.