English dictation practice

Dictation is one of the oldest exercises in language teaching: a teacher reads aloud and students write down every word. It looks simple, but it checks several skills at once. You have to hear each sound, recognise the word, remember how it is spelled, and, in a sentence, keep track of the small grammar words and endings that speakers barely pronounce. Because what you wrote can be compared word for word with what was said, dictation shows you exactly where your listening or spelling breaks down.

Schools use dictation words to teach spelling from the first year. Language learners use dictation sentences to train their ear for real, connected speech. This page gives you both: a tool that reads the words and sentences aloud and marks your answer, and the full lists, by level, for teachers and parents who prefer to read them out.

1. Choose words or sentences

   Words train spelling. Sentences train listening to natural, connected English.

2. Pick your level

   Words run from Easy (Class 1–2) to Advanced; sentences from short and simple to academic.

3. Press Play and listen

   Each word is read, then used in a sentence, then read again, so you know which word it is. Replay as often as you need.

4. Type what you hear

   Spelling counts. Capitals and punctuation do not, so focus on the words.

5. Check, and note your mistakes

   Missed words show in red. Write them in a notebook and come back to them in a few days.

Every word comes with a short sentence. When you give a dictation, say the word, then the sentence, then the word again. The sentence makes clear which word you mean (sun, not son) and shows how it is used.

Easy (Class 1–2)

Medium (Class 3–5)

Hard (Class 6–8)

Advanced (often misspelled)

Sentence dictation is harder than word dictation, because in natural speech words run together: a, the, of, has and endings like -ed and -s almost disappear. These sentences are grouped from short, everyday lines to the kind of formal English found in news and academic writing.

Easy (short sentences)

1. The cat sat on the mat.
2. I have a red ball.
3. We go to school by bus.
4. The sky is blue today.
5. My mother is a doctor.
6. Please give me a glass of water.
7. The baby is sleeping now.
8. He has two brothers and one sister.
9. The shop is near my house.
10. I like to read books at night.
11. Birds fly in the sky.
12. Wash your hands before you eat.

Medium (everyday English)

1. The train to Delhi leaves at six in the evening.
2. Could you tell me where the post office is?
3. We forgot to buy bread on the way home.
4. My grandmother tells the best stories in our family.
5. The teacher asked us to finish the work by Monday.
6. It started raining just as we reached the park.
7. I usually walk to the office when the weather is nice.
8. The library will be closed on Sunday for cleaning.
9. She has been learning to play the guitar for a year.
10. Please switch off the lights when you leave the room.
11. Our neighbours are moving to another city next month.
12. He missed the bus because his alarm did not ring.

Hard (academic and formal)

1. The committee will announce its decision after a thorough review.
2. Scientists believe the climate is changing faster than expected.
3. Applicants must submit their documents before the deadline.
4. The museum’s new exhibition explores the history of ancient trade routes.
5. Regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
6. Although the evidence was limited, the researchers remained optimistic.
7. The government introduced several measures to improve public transport.
8. Effective communication is essential in every professional environment.
9. The survey revealed that most students prefer studying in the morning.
10. Renewable energy has become more affordable over the past decade.
11. The professor emphasised the importance of citing reliable sources.
12. Despite the heavy traffic, the delegates arrived on time for the conference.

1. Choose 10 to 20 items at one level

   Short sets keep attention high; mix a few known words with a few new ones.

2. Read each word three ways

   Word, sentence, word: “receive. Did you receive my letter? receive.”

3. Read sentences in chunks

   Read the whole sentence once, then in short phrases with pauses for writing, then the whole sentence again.

4. Leave time to check

   Give a minute at the end for students to read over what they wrote.

5. Mark spelling first

   Then capitals and punctuation. Collect the words most people missed and repeat them in the next test.

They overlap but are not the same. A spelling test asks you to spell words you have learned from a list. Dictation adds listening: you have to recognise the word from its sound before you can spell it, and in a sentence you also have to catch grammar. That is why someone can score well in a spelling test and still miss words in a dictation. The usual trouble spots are silent letters (knowledge, island, autumn), double letters (accommodation, committee), the ie / ei pattern (believe, receive) and unstressed vowels (separate, definitely).

• It links sound to spelling. Hearing a word and writing it fixes both in memory together.
• It catches grammar you do not hear. Missing the -ed in “he finished” shows you are not yet listening for tense.
• It gives exact feedback. The difference between what you wrote and what was said is a precise list of what to practise.
• It trains attention. You cannot skim a dictation; every word matters.

The Duolingo English Test includes a dictation task. In Listen and Type you hear a sentence and type it; the task guide covers how it is played, timed and scored. Dictation skill also carries into Interactive Listening, where you answer and then summarise a conversation you heard only once. Practise sentences here at the Medium and Hard levels, then try the real formats in the listening section test or a full mock test.