Common IELTS Listening Mistakes
1. Ignoring the word limit
• If the instruction says NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS, writing three words = wrong, even if the idea is correct.
• Numbers count as one word.
2. Wrong form (singular / plural)
• ticket vs tickets
• child vs children
Even a missing “s” means the answer is incorrect.
3. Spelling errors
• accomodation ❌ → accommodation ✅
Spelling must be accurate.
4. Writing what you hear, not what fits grammatically
• The sentence on the paper must be grammatically correct.
• Example:
“The course starts on ___”
Correct: MONDAY
Wrong: ON MONDAY (the word on is already existed as part of the question)
5. Wrong number format
• If the speaker says “twenty-five”, write 25 unless instructed otherwise.
• Be consistent.
6. Losing focus after missing an answer
• One missed answer often leads to missing the next two.
7January 19, 2026 1.2K 4
