Dictation words play an important role in enhancing Listening skills for the IELTS exam. They can help you improve your ability to accurately comprehend spoken English, a vital component of the Listening section. Regular practice with dictation words can significantly boost overall language proficiency, ensuring better performance in both Academic and General Training formats of the IELTS test.
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What are dictation words?
Dictation words refer to the choice of words and style of expression an author or speaker uses. Dictation affects the tone, mood, and meaning of a piece of writing or speech. It can range from formal to informal, simple to complex, or abstract to concrete. Here are the main types of dictation:
Formal dictation: Uses sophisticated, professional, or technical vocabulary (e.g., legal documents, academic writing).
Informal dictation: More casual, everyday language (e.g., conversations, social media).
Colloquial dictation: Uses regional expressions, slang, or idiomatic phrases (e.g., "gonna," "y'all").
Abstract dictation: Uses conceptual words that refer to ideas rather than tangible objects (e.g., "freedom," "love").
Concrete dictation: Uses specific, vivid, and tangible words (e.g., "rose," "apple," "sunset").
Dictation words for IELTS – Incorrect and correct spellings
Using the correct spelling is very important in the IELTS Listening and Writing test. Here are some of the dictation words for IELTS with examples of commonly misspelt words for IELTS, showing the incorrect and correct spellings:
Word | Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|---|
Accommodation | Accomodation | Accommodation |
Business | Buisness | Business |
Environment | Enviroment | Environment |
Definitely | Definately | Definitely |
Necessary | Necesary | Necessary |
Separate | Seperate | Separate |
Government | Goverment | Government |
Beginning | Begining | Beginning |
Embarrass | Embarass | Embarrass |
Maintenance | Maintenence | Maintenance |
Privilege | Privelege | Privilege |
Liaison | Liason | Liaison |
Receive | Recieve | Receive |
Independent | Independant | Independent |
Conscience | Concience | Conscience |
Dictation words for IELTS with meanings
Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
Accommodation | A place to stay or live |
Available | Ready for use or accessible |
Analysis | Detailed examination or study |
Assessment | Evaluation or judgement |
Benefit | Advantage or profit |
Challenge | A difficult task or problem |
Competition | A contest or rivalry between people or groups |
Conference | A formal meeting for discussion |
Consequence | Result or effect of an action |
Consistent | Acting or done in the same way over time |
Contribution | A gift or payment to support a cause |
Coordinate | Organise or arrange different elements to work together |
Currency | System of money in use in a country |
Curriculum | The subjects comprising a course of study in a school |
Delivery | The act of bringing goods to a customer |
Destination | The place to which someone is going |
Diagram | A drawing that shows the parts of something or how it works |
Discipline | The practice of training people to follow rules or a specific subject |
Discount | A reduction in price |
Equipment | Tools needed for a particular purpose |
Facility | A place, amenity, or equipment provided for a specific purpose |
Factor | An element that contributes to a result |
Feedback | Information about reactions to a product or performance |
Guarantee | A formal promise or assurance |
Income | Money received, especially on a regular basis |
Instructions | Directions or orders |
Investment | The action of putting money into something to gain profit |
Knowledge | Facts, information, and skills acquired |
License | Official permission to do something |
Maintenance | The process of preserving something |
Management | The process of dealing with or controlling things or people |
Manufacture | The process of producing goods |
Marketing | Promoting and selling products or services |
Measurement | The size, length, or amount of something |
Opportunity | A set of circumstances that makes something possible |
Organisation | A group with a particular purpose |
Participant | A person who takes part in something |
Permission | Consent or authorisation |
Policy | A course or principle of action adopted or proposed |
Presentation | A speech or talk in which new ideas are explained |
Procedure | An established or official way of doing something |
Product | An article or substance that is manufactured |
Promotion | The publicising of a product |
Proportion | A part, share, or number considered in relation to a whole |
Recommendation | A suggestion or proposal for the best course of action |
Refund | Repayment of money |
Requirement | Something needed or essential |
Resources | Materials, money, or other assets that can be used |
Schedule | A plan for carrying out a process |
Strategy | A plan of action designed to achieve a goal |
Benefits of dictation words in the IELTS test
Dictation plays a crucial role in the IELTS exam, particularly in the Speaking and Writing sections. Here are some key benefits of using proper dictation during the test:
Clarity and precision: Using the right words ensures that your ideas are communicated clearly and effectively, which helps examiners understand your arguments or opinions without ambiguity.
Improved coherence: Well-chosen words help you structure your responses logically, making your speech or writing more coherent and easier to follow.
Enhanced vocabulary score: Demonstrating a wide range of vocabulary through appropriate dictation can boost your Lexical Resource score, especially if you use synonyms and contextually suitable words.
Professionalism and formal tone: In the Writing section, using formal and precise words creates a professional tone, which is essential in academic writing tasks.
Fluency in speaking: Appropriate dictation enhances fluency, allowing you to express complex ideas more naturally and avoiding pauses caused by searching for words.
Grammatical accuracy: Certain words require specific grammatical structures, and using the right dictation helps in maintaining grammatical accuracy, a key scoring criterion.
Better expression of ideas: With strong dictation, you can more effectively express emotions, opinions, and nuanced points, making your responses more compelling and impactful.
Top tips for IELTS dictation practice
Here are some top tips you can implement for IELTS dictation practice:
1. Use authentic IELTS listening materials
Practice with actual IELTS recordings: Use sample tests or listening sections from official IELTS practice materials available on the IDP IELTS India website. These sources provide the right level of speed, accent, and topic relevance.
Pause and repeat: If you're a beginner, pause the audio after each sentence or phrase and try writing it down. Gradually, reduce pauses as you become more comfortable.
2. Listen to various accents
Diversify accents: IELTS includes speakers from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Canada. Practice with audio in different accents to familiarise yourself with regional pronunciations.
Use podcasts or news: Listen to podcasts or news channels to hear a range of accents while practising dictation.
3. Start with slow dictation, then gradually increase speed
Begin at a comfortable speed: Use slower recordings initially, then gradually work your way up to natural conversation speed.
Use YouTube speed control: If you're using YouTube videos for dictation practice, you can slow them down or speed them up according to your level.
4. Work on spelling and punctuation
Focus on accuracy: As you write, pay close attention to spelling and punctuation. Mistakes in spelling can lower your score in the IELTS Writing section, and punctuation errors can affect clarity.
Review and correct: After writing the dictation, compare your version to the transcript or original recording. This helps you catch any errors and improve.
5. Choose IELTS-specific vocabulary
Select relevant topics: Practice with dictations from common IELTS topics such as education, the environment, technology, or travel. This will help you familiarise yourself with terms likely to appear in the exam.
Create a vocabulary list: Note down words or phrases that were difficult during dictation and practice spelling and usage in context.
6. Practice Summarisation
Summarise the dictation: After completing a dictation, write a summary in your own words. This will improve your ability to condense information, a skill useful for both the Writing and Speaking sections.
7. Use apps and dictation tools
Dictation software or apps: Use apps like Otter.ai or Google Docs’ voice typing feature to transcribe what you hear. Once transcribed, you can compare the software’s version with your written version to spot errors.
IELTS-specific apps: Some apps are designed for IELTS dictation practice, like "IELTS Listening Practice" or "IELTS Prep." These can be handy tools for on-the-go practice.
8. Self-dictation
Read and record passages: Read out loud and record your voice reading passages from IELTS reading texts or other sources. Then, listen back and practice dictation. This helps you focus on areas where you’re more likely to make errors.
Use short sentences first: If you are struggling, begin with short sentences and progressively move on to longer, more complex ones.
9. Peer dictation practice
Pair up with a friend: Partner with someone preparing for IELTS and take turns reading passages to each other for dictation. This method adds variety and can simulate the exam experience more closely.
10. Practice timed dictation
Simulate test conditions: Set a time limit to complete your dictation to practice working under pressure. The IELTS test is timed, so it’s essential to practice within a fixed time frame to increase speed and accuracy.
Hope this blog helps you understand how to use dictation in your IELTS test and how important it is to implement the same to score a higher IELTS band score. Also, if you are planning to take an IELTS test and have questions related to the same, then you can get in touch with your nearest IDP IELTS test centre. Our team of IELTS experts will clear all your queries.
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