Losing a mark for a right answer hurts. In IELTS Listening and Reading, it usually happens because of spelling. Here are the official rules, plus what's allowed in Writing.
Listening: spelling counts
- You lose the mark if a word is spelled incorrectly, and grammar mistakes in your answer can also lose it.
- UK and US spellings are both accepted, so "colour" and "color" are both fine.
- The words you need are usually common ones, so practise spelling days, months, numbers, street names and everyday nouns.
Reading: copy exactly
When you take an answer from the passage, copy the words accurately. A spelling mistake means you lose the mark for that question. Check the word limit in the instructions too. See our Listening tips and Reading time plan.
Writing: can I use all capital letters?
You won't automatically be penalised for writing your essay in capitals. But grammar and punctuation are still marked, and on paper the examiner must be able to read every word. If you can write normally, do.
Writing is marked on four criteria
Each Writing task is marked on Task achievement or Task response, Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resource and Grammatical range and accuracy, each worth 25% of the task mark. Task 2 is worth twice as many marks as Task 1. Spelling mistakes in Writing affect your Lexical resource score. Get an estimate for all four criteria with the free BandIQ Band Check.
Frequently asked questions
Does spelling count in IELTS Listening?
Yes. You lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar. Both UK and US spellings are accepted.
Does spelling count in IELTS Reading?
Yes. Copy words from the text accurately. A spelling mistake loses the mark for that question.
Can I write in all capital letters in IELTS Writing?
You won't automatically be penalised for writing in capitals, but grammar, punctuation and readability still matter.
Is Task 2 worth more than Task 1?
Yes. Writing Task 2 is worth twice as many marks as Task 1.