PTE Listening: Highlight Incorrect Words Strategies and Practice

Highlight Incorrect Words combines listening with close comparison of a written transcript. You need to identify words that differ from the recording, rather than edit the passage according to what you think it should say. Preparation should develop accurate tracking and disciplined selection.

Understand the comparison task

You will see text containing differences from the audio. Listen while following the transcript and select the words that do not match what the speaker says. The purpose is not to correct grammar or choose words you find unusual. For related guidance, read PTE Write From Dictation: A Practice Routine for Accuracy.

For an original practice example, the text might say “The workshop begins on Friday” while the recording says “The workshop begins on Monday.” The differing word in the transcript is “Friday”. Your decision comes from the sound–text mismatch, not your preference for the schedule.

Preview for orientation

Use the available preview to understand the topic and visual layout. Notice sentence boundaries and words that may be useful landmarks. Do not expect to analyse every word before the recording starts or decide in advance which ones must be incorrect. For related guidance, read PTE Summarize Spoken Text: What to Include and What to Leave Out.

Keep your attention ready to follow the speaker’s pace. During training, notice whether unfamiliar vocabulary causes you to stop tracking even when the recording continues. Practise regaining your place at the next clear phrase rather than remaining stuck behind the audio.

Select only supported differences

Pearson’s current guidance states that incorrect selections can deduct points within this task. Clicking every doubtful word is therefore not a sensible substitute for careful listening. Use evidence from the recording and avoid selecting a word merely because you did not hear it clearly.

A word can sound slightly different in connected speech while still matching the transcript. Practise recognising common reductions and word boundaries. The goal is understanding the spoken word, not expecting every item to sound isolated and carefully pronounced.

Review the reason for each mistake

After a practice attempt, compare the audio and transcript carefully. Separate missed mismatches from false selections. Ask whether the cause was pronunciation, loss of place, an unfamiliar word or a rushed click. This gives you a more useful next step than only checking the total.

For a pronunciation problem, replay the relevant phrase and examine the sound pattern. For tracking difficulty, practise with shorter passages and gradually increase pace. Keep the review focused on the underlying cause.

Transfer the skill to fresh material

Do not judge progress from a transcript you have memorised. Use unfamiliar items and realistic conditions, then analyse the response. Maintain attention to the whole passage rather than concentrating only on a few suspected differences.

Practice is most useful when it improves both accuracy and control. A calmer evidence-based approach can reduce unnecessary selections, while better tracking helps you notice real changes.

Put it into practice

Separate missed mismatches from unsupported clicks in your review log. Improving tracking may address the first problem, while more disciplined evidence-based selection may be needed for the second.

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