Unlike many other English language tests, IELTS Listening speakers have a wide range of accents, including those from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.
IELTS Listening solely concentrates on the “neutral” or “standard” accents of native English speakers, despite the fact that these nations are well renowned for their great range of accents.
Don’t worry; you won’t need to master the UK’s Scottish, Welsh, Irish, or Cockney accents. Additionally, you won’t need to understand Newfie in North America.
Texan or Boston accents. There won’t be any speech from Tasmania or rural New Zealand; the only “down under” accents you’ll hear are those of metropolitan Australians and New Zealanders.
A neutral accent is what, then?
Every country has a different system. However, a neutral accent is typically only connected to one or two cities or regions.
The UK English you encounter on the IELTS will be either extremely close to the London standard or the same.
IELTS candidates from Australia will all have a general Australian accent. In cities like Sydney, you’ll hear Australians speaking like this. Most well-known Australian performers also have this accent; consider Margot Robbie or Hugh Jackman.
The US accent is reflected in the North American IELTS rather than the Canadian accent. The majority of North Americans speak with an accent that suggests they are from either the Midwest or California, the two states in which English is widely spoken in the USA. It’s likely a Vancouver or Toronto accent if you encounter a Canadian accent on the IELTS. These accents sound pretty American.
This brings up a unique IELTS situation involving the New Zealand accent. New Zealand English has several distinctive characteristics as a result of New Zealand’s small size and geographic isolation. The IELTS decides not to display the distinctiveness of New Zealand English in its entirety. Instead, IELTS speakers from New Zealand have exceptionally neutral accents by “Kiwi” norms. IELTS New Zealand accents are more like to typical Australian English than authentic New Zealand English.
British English Predominance on the IELTS
Although there are many different IELTS listening accents, British English is the most prevalent. Every IELTS listening track includes British accent audio. British speakers always deliver IELTS listening solo speeches. There will always be at least one British speaker in an IELTS listening discourse, and occasionally there will be more.
British accent audio will also be present in IELTS talks with non-British speakers. You may overhear a British college student speaking with an American professor or a discussion taking place in three different countries at once, including the USA, Australia, and the UK.
IELTS Listening Accents: What You Should Know
Be prepared to hear a lot of regular British English when you study for the IELTS Listening test. Be ready to transition quickly between several accents as well. You’ll need to listen to two or three clearly distinguishable accents at once to perform well on the IELTS Listening test and avoid getting shocked or distracted.