IELTS Speaking: What to Say When You Don't Understand or Don't Know the Answer

One of the most common ways candidates lose marks in IELTS Speaking has nothing to do with grammar or vocabulary. It happens when they mishear a question, do not know a word, or simply cannot think of anything to say, and then freeze. The long silence that follows is exactly what the Fluency and Coherence criterion penalises. The good news is that recovering smoothly is a skill you can rehearse, and knowing what to say in each situation removes most of the panic.

First, remember what Speaking actually tests

The IELTS Speaking test lasts 11 to 14 minutes and is assessed on four equally weighted criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Notice what is not on that list: the correctness of your opinions or the accuracy of your facts. The examiner does not care whether your answer is true, clever, or well-informed. This single fact changes how you should react when you have no ideas — you are free to invent a reasonable answer, because you are only being marked on the English you use to express it.

When you don't understand the question

In Part 1 and Part 3, you are allowed to ask the examiner to repeat the question, and doing so is not penalised. What matters is that you ask in natural, appropriate English rather than freezing or saying "What?". Keep two or three phrases ready:

• "Sorry, could you say that again, please?"
• "I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that — could you repeat it?"
• "Do you mean [your paraphrase of the question]?"

That last one is powerful in Part 3: by checking your understanding, you show control of the language and buy yourself a moment to think. Be aware of two limits, though. The examiner will repeat a question but is generally not allowed to explain what a word means or rephrase it into simpler English, so do not ask "What does that word mean?". And in Part 2, the long turn, you cannot ask for clarification at all — the topic is fixed on the cue card, so read it carefully during your one minute of preparation.

When you don't know a word you need

Reaching for a word and not finding it is normal, even for high scorers. The wrong move is to stop and search your memory in silence. Instead, talk around the word — a technique examiners actually reward, because it shows flexibility. If you cannot remember "veterinarian", say "the doctor you take animals to". If "commute" escapes you, say "my daily journey to work". Describing an idea with a relative clause or a simple definition keeps you fluent and often displays more range than the single word would have. You can practise this deliberately with real questions on our IELTS Speaking practice questions hub.

When you genuinely have no ideas

Part 3 questions can be abstract — "How has technology changed the way families communicate?" — and it is easy to blank. Because content is not marked, your job is to generate language, not truth. Three reliable openers give your brain time to catch up:

• Take a position, then justify it: "I suppose the biggest change is that families now message instead of calling, which means..."
• Consider two sides: "That's something I've never really thought about. On one hand... but on the other hand..."
• Use an example or a hypothetical: "Take my own grandparents, for instance — they..."

Notice that a short, honest filler such as "That's an interesting question, I'd say..." is fine once, but repeating the same phrase before every answer becomes a memorised tic that examiners spot immediately. Vary your stalling language, and keep it brief.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Long silences. A pause of a few seconds to think is natural; ten seconds of nothing reads as a fluency breakdown. Start talking, even tentatively.
• Saying "I don't know" and stopping. It is acceptable to say a topic is unfamiliar, but you must then speculate: "I don't have much experience with that, but I imagine..."
• Memorised scripts. Rehearsed chunks that don't fit the exact question damage your score more than a natural stumble.
• Over-apologising. One polite request to repeat is fine; apologising repeatedly wastes your speaking time.

Practise recovery, not just answers

Most candidates rehearse their best answers but never rehearse what to do when things go wrong — which is precisely when marks are lost. Record yourself answering unfamiliar questions and deliberately practise the recovery phrases above until they feel automatic. It also helps to strengthen the underlying skill of keeping going smoothly; our guide to fluency and coherence explains how, and the Part 3 discussion strategies post shows how to extend abstract answers. Handle these moments calmly and you protect the one criterion candidates most often throw away.