English speaking app with instant AI feedback
Record an answer on your phone and get feedback in minutes on your fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. BandLadder is an IELTS and PTE practice app, so it suits learners who want measured speaking practice, with free scored answers every day.
Free to download on iPhone and Android. Sign in with your BandLadder web account.
What the feedback covers
IELTS speaking answers get a band estimate on each of the four criteria IELTS examiners use, shown below, plus a transcript of what the app heard. PTE speaking tasks such as Read Aloud are scored on content, oral fluency and pronunciation, the traits Pearson lists for them.
Fluency
How smoothly you speak: pace, long pauses, and whether your ideas link together.
Pronunciation
How clearly your sounds, word stress and rhythm come across.
Vocabulary
The range and precision of the words you choose, and the ones that sound unnatural.
Grammar
The range of sentence structures you use and how accurate they are.
Who it suits
- Learners who can already speak in full sentences and want to know exactly what to improve.
- Anyone preparing for IELTS or PTE speaking.
- People who feel shy speaking to others and want private practice first.
There are 1.5k+ IELTS speaking sets in the app, covering Part 1 questions, Part 2 cue cards and Part 3 discussion, plus every PTE speaking task type.
Who it isn't for
If you are a beginner, this is not the right first app. BandLadder does not teach English step by step, and it cannot hold a conversation with you or correct you the way a teacher does. Beginners usually learn faster with a teacher, a class or a conversation partner, and can add scored practice once they can speak for a minute on a familiar topic.
How to practise speaking every day with the app
Ten to fifteen minutes a day is a habit most people can keep. Here is a simple week:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: one cue card
Pick a topic from the IELTS cue cards. Take one minute to plan, then talk for two. Read the feedback, then record the same topic again and compare.
Tuesday and Thursday: Read Aloud
Read a short academic text out loud with PTE Read Aloud. It is a quick, focused check on pronunciation and fluency because the words are fixed. Read Aloud is a PTE task, so switch exam in the app to score it.
Weekend: a longer answer
Answer a Part 3 discussion question for a minute or two. These ask for opinions and reasons, which is closer to real conversation than a script.
Every day: listen back
Read the transcript of what the app heard. Words it missed are often the words a listener would struggle with too.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a general English speaking course?
No. BandLadder is an exam practice app for IELTS and PTE. It does not teach English from the start or give you a conversation partner. It measures your spoken answers and tells you what to fix.
Is the speaking practice free?
Yes, every day. A free IELTS account gets 2 scored speaking answers a day and a free PTE account gets 5, reset at midnight India time (Asia/Kolkata). Paid plans remove the daily limit, subject to fair use.
Can I use it if I am not taking IELTS or PTE?
Yes, if you want measured speaking practice and do not mind exam-style prompts. The feedback on fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar is useful for any learner who can already hold a basic conversation.
Are the scores official?
No. They are practice estimates from BandLadder's own AI, not IELTS or Pearson results. Use them to track progress, not to predict an exact test score.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Record on your phone, or use the website on a laptop with a microphone. One account works on both.
Sources
- IELTS Speaking format and the four criteria (ielts.org)
- PTE Academic Speaking and Writing format, including Read Aloud scoring (pearsonpte.com)
Prefer the browser? IELTS speaking practice · IELTS cue cards · PTE Read Aloud · IELTS preparation app · IELTS and PTE app