This free English dictation practice tool reads a sentence aloud, you type exactly what you hear, and it shows which words you got right. Choose sentences from A2 to B2, exam-style announcements, or paste your own text, and practise with a British or American voice.
Dictation is one of the oldest and most effective listening exercises, because you cannot fake it: you have to catch every word, including the small ones like “a”, “the” and “of” that learners usually miss.
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How to Use This English Dictation Practice Tool
- Choose a level: A2, B1, B2 or exam announcements. Or choose “My own text” and paste a paragraph.
- Pick a voice: UK or US, female or male. Exam-style British voices are great for Aptis and IELTS listening practice.
- Press Play and listen. Use Slower if the sentence is too fast. You can replay as many times as you need.
- Type the sentence and press Enter. Green words are correct; red words were missed or misspelled.
- Press Enter again to move to the next sentence. At the end you get an average score and a list of words to review.
By default the checker ignores capitals and punctuation, so you can focus on listening. Tick “Also check punctuation and capitals” for an extra challenge.
Why Dictation Improves Your English
- Listening accuracy: you learn to hear word boundaries and weak forms such as “to” pronounced /tə/.
- Spelling: you connect sounds with written words.
- Grammar: missing endings like “-s” and “-ed” show you which grammar you do not yet hear automatically.
- Exam skills: listening tests, including Aptis and IELTS, often depend on catching exact words and numbers.
A Simple 10-Minute Dictation Routine
- Do one set of 10 sentences at Normal speed.
- Write down the words in “Words to review” and say each one aloud.
- Repeat the same set the next day. Your score should rise quickly.
- When you score 90% or more, move up a level or switch to Exam speed.
Then practise speaking the same sentences with our free English shadowing tool, which uses the same natural voices. If you are preparing for an exam, the British Council’s Aptis test page explains the listening format, and IELTS.org describes the IELTS listening test.
Tips for Better Dictation Scores
- Listen to the whole sentence first before you start typing.
- Write numbers as words if the sentence uses words, for example “seven”, not “7”.
- Watch the small words. Articles and prepositions cause most mistakes.
- Change voices. Practising with both accents prepares you for real-life listening.
For more ways to study with technology, see our AI tools for students and the best AI tools list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this English dictation practice tool free?
Yes. It is free, works in your browser and needs no account. Your own texts and best scores are saved only on your device.
Which accent should I practise?
Practise the accent you will hear most. Aptis is a British Council exam, so UK voices are a good choice for it, but switching between UK and US voices builds flexible listening skills.
Why are some voices more natural than others?
The tool uses the voices built into your browser. Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome usually offer the most natural voices; older system voices can sound robotic.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. If the sound is quiet on your phone, press the volume-up button while the voice is speaking, because it uses media volume.
This tool is part of our AI for learning English guide, which combines dictation, shadowing, pronunciation and speaking practice into a simple 20-minute daily plan.
Final Thoughts
Ten minutes of English dictation practice a day trains your ear more than an hour of passive listening. Start at a comfortable level, review the red words, and repeat sets until they feel easy.