Learner spells the high-frequency academic words whose only difficulty is knowing which letter doubles.
Preview · progress not saved — Chapter 1 is free
Eight pairs. Tick the one you would write — this is your score to beat.
There is no rule here. There is a hook for each word, and that is faster.
There is no rule that tells you which letter doubles in these words. Native speakers get them wrong too. Do not go looking for a pattern — you will waste an hour and find nothing.
What works instead is a hook: one small picture or sentence per word that makes the doubling stick. Eight hooks is a twenty-minute job. A rule that does not exist is a lifetime job.
They were not chosen because they are hard. They were chosen because they are frequent in IELTS scripts — these are the words candidates actually reach for when writing about study, work, travel and change. A word you never write cannot cost you a mark.
The big letters are the ones that double. Below each one, what you were about to write.
The big letters are the ones that double. The crossed-out line is what you were about to write.
Twenty spellings. Ten are right. Sort them without looking back.
Sort each item into the correct category
Three words. Say the hook first, spell second — that is the order that works.
Chain 1
Word needed: a place to stay, on a Task 1 letter.
Hook — how many of each letter:
So the spelling is:
Chain 2
Word needed: something you must do, not optional.
Hook — one collar and two what:
So the spelling is:
Chain 3
Word needed: a chance to do something.
Hook — it knocks how many times:
So the spelling is:
Eight sentences. Only the meaning is given — the letters are entirely yours.
It is ______ to book your test at least two months in advance. (meaning: essential, not optional)
The hotel provided ______ for all forty delegates. (meaning: a place to stay)
I would strongly ______ this course to anyone at Band 5. (meaning: advise someone to choose it)
At the ______ of the year, class sizes were much smaller. (meaning: the start)
Poor ______ between the two departments delayed the project. (meaning: exchange of information)
Studying abroad gave her the ______ to work in three countries. (meaning: a chance)
She left teaching and trained as a ______ translator. (meaning: doing it as a paid career)
We met only once, on a formal ______ in 2019. (meaning: a particular event or time)