A former IELTS examiner and teacher with more than a decade of experience has noted that one of the most frequent problems hindering students from reaching Band 7 or higher in the IELTS Speaking test is their pronunciation.
Many students (and even some teachers) mistakenly believe that pronunciation is only about sounding the words correctly. However, pronunciation includes sentence stress, intonation, and emphasis, all of which are essential for communicating meaning clearly.
Let’s explore this expert-recommended tip that can boost your IELTS Speaking score and help you reach Band 7, 8, or even 9.
The Biggest Pronunciation Mistake: Flat Delivery
The IELTS examiner explained that many students deliver their answers in a flat, monotone voice, making their responses sound robotic and lifeless—even when their grammar and vocabulary are correct. This issue alone can prevent candidates from scoring above Band 6 in pronunciation.
Example:
“A few weeks ago, I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie is the third in the Spider-Man trilogy. In this movie, Spider-Man asks Dr. Strange to cast a spell that makes everyone forget who he is, but something goes wrong.”
✅ Every word is pronounced correctly, but the delivery sounds flat and unengaging. This is where many candidates lose valuable points.
How to Fix Flat Delivery: Sentence Stress
The former IELTS examiner explained that sentence stress is the most powerful technique to make your speech sound clear, engaging, and natural.
Sentence stress means adding emphasis to keywords to highlight the important meaning of your sentences. Let’s explore two simple ways to apply this skill.
1. Stress Key Words for Clarity
The first tip is to stress keywords—these are the words that carry the main meaning of a sentence, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
Example:
“A few weeks ago, I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie is the third in the Spider-Man trilogy. In this movie, Spider-Man asks Dr. Strange to cast a spell that makes everyone forget who he is. But something goes wrong.”
Notice how the words like “Spider-Man,” “spell,” “forget,” “wrong,” and “enemies” were emphasized. This makes the delivery sound more engaging and clearer.
Practice Tip:
- Choose a sentence related to your favorite movie or hobby.
- Identify keywords—important nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
- Add stress to these words when speaking to sound more natural and engaging.
2. Stress Repetitive Words for Rhythm
The second expert tip is to stress repetitive words—common words that appear frequently in everyday conversation and IELTS Speaking responses.
Words to Stress:
Emphasis Words:
- Really: “I really liked the movie.”
- Very: “It was a very good experience.”
Negative Words:
- Not / Don’t / Isn’t: “I don’t like horror movies.”
Connectors:
- And / But / If: “I love action movies, but I also enjoy comedies.”
Lists:
- “For breakfast, I had eggs, toast, and juice.”
Contrast Words:
- Fast / Slow / Dim / Bright: “The train is slow, but the car is fast.”
Reference Words:
- This / That / These / Those: “This movie was exciting, but that one was boring.”
Practice Example:
“I don’t really enjoy these movies, but I really enjoyed this one. The main reason is that I watched the older Spider-Man movies when I was a kid, and seeing those actors again reminded me of being young.”
How to Practice for IELTS Speaking:
- Record Yourself: Practice speaking on common IELTS topics. Listen to your delivery and check if you stress keywords and repetitive words.
- Listen to Native Speakers: Watch English TV shows, movies, or podcasts and pay attention to how words are stressed naturally.
- Mock Speaking Tests: Practice with a friend or teacher who can give feedback on your pronunciation.
Final Pronunciation Demo:
The IELTS expert demonstrated how to combine both key word stress and repetitive word stress for a more natural, high-scoring answer.
Example Answer:
“A few weeks ago, I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie is the third in the Spider-Man trilogy. In this movie, Spider-Man asks Dr. Strange to cast a spell that makes everyone forget who he is, but something goes wrong. Suddenly, enemies from alternate realities appear, and they cause mayhem for Spider-Man.”
Notice how keywords like “Spider-Man,” “spell,” “enemies,” and repetitive words like “but” and “and” create a natural rhythm and engaging delivery.
Why This Works:
- Band 7: If you stress keywords and repetitive words sometimes, your delivery will be clearer.
- Band 8-9: If you can use stress naturally and consistently, you’ll sound fluent and engaging, boosting your overall pronunciation score.
Conclusion: Use Sentence Stress to Improve Your Speaking Score
Mastering sentence stress is one of the easiest ways to increase your IELTS Speaking score, according to experienced IELTS examiners. With practice, you can:
- Stress Key Words for clarity.
- Stress Repetitive Words for rhythm and natural delivery.
With consistent practice, you’ll sound more confident, clear, and natural on test day, pushing you closer to Band 7, 8, or 9.
