7.4. Pronunciation
Be understood without effort. Your accent is not the issue.
The short version
Your accent is not marked. Being understood is.
Examiners listen for sounds, word stress, chunking and intonation.
Group your words into chunks instead of saying them one by one.
Let your voice fall so the listener knows the point has ended.
What is actually being judged
Pronunciation is whether the listener can follow you without effort. At higher bands, it is also how well you use stress, rhythm and intonation to carry meaning.
The four things examiners listen for
The individual sounds inside a word.
Which syllable of a word carries the weight.
Which words are stressed, and how words group together.
Whether your voice comes down so the listener knows a point has ended.
Accent is not the problem
A first-language accent is fine if the listener can follow. The problem is the shape: every word at the same weight, no groups, and a voice that never comes down.
I use the BUS most WEEKDAYS.
Group the words: I use the bus / most weekdays. Not I / use / the / bus.
The voice drops when the point is finished.
The same sentence, two shapes
I. Use. The. Bus. Most. Weekdays. Because. It. Is. Cheaper. Than. Parking. In. The. Centre.
I use the BUS / most WEEKDAYS / because it's CHEAPER / than PARKING in the CENTRE.
Quiz time1 question
Which is easier to follow?
Say both versions above aloud. In the chunked one, each slash is a tiny pause and each capital gets a little more weight. The voice comes down on centre because the point is over.
Which version can a listener follow with the least effort?
Your accent is not the problem
A clear speaker with a noticeable accent can be Band 8. Changing accent for the test often makes you less clear.
If a word is always unclear, say it another way: the person who owns the shop if landlord will not come out.
Your turn to speak2 questions
Check
Choose what the criterion rewards.
Which change is most likely to help Pronunciation?
Chunk it and let it fall
Answer in three sentences. Group the words into chunks of three to five. Put the weight on the word that carries the news. Let your voice fall at the end of each point.
How do you usually get to work or college?
Record your answer (40s maximum)
0:00 / 0:40
Set up your learning path at the top of this lesson to get band-specific feedback.
Recap
A first-language accent is fine if the listener can follow you.
Speak in chunks, and lean on the word that carries the new information.
Drop your voice at the end so the examiner knows you have finished.
Next: the step up to the band you are aiming for.