Practise English speaking with an online tutor

What you can practise here, and what needs a person

This site has 90 grammar lessons with 5,400 exercises, 5,500 words with example sentences, and 80 graded stories from A1 to B2. All of it is free. You can study these skills at your own speed, and the exercises tell you at once if an answer is right.

Speaking does not work like that. An exercise can check a sentence you type. It cannot hear what you say, ask you a new question, or wait while you look for a word. A conversation can.

What an online tutor adds

• Real conversation. You answer questions you did not plan for. That is what speaking in real life feels like.
• Correction of what you say. A tutor hears your mistakes and can correct them straight away, in your own sentences.
• Feedback on sounds. A listener can tell you which words were hard to understand. Our pronunciation guide helps you practise them after.
• Practice for your goal. A job interview, an exam, a trip: a tutor can practise the kind of talk you need.

How to use a tutor with our free lessons

1. Find your level first. Take the free English level test (30 questions, about 12 minutes). Tell your tutor the result.
2. Study one grammar topic before the lesson. Pick a topic from the grammar lessons and do its exercises. For example, the past simple.
3. Learn the words you need. Choose a topic in the vocabulary lists, such as food or work, and learn ten words.
4. Use them in the lesson. Ask your tutor to talk about that topic. Try to use the grammar and the new words. Ask them to correct you.
5. Practise again after the lesson. Write down your mistakes. Go back to the grammar exercises for the ones that keep coming back.

How to choose a tutor

There is no single best tutor. There is a tutor who is right for you. These questions help:

• What is your goal? Everyday conversation, work, or an exam such as IELTS. Look for a tutor who says they teach it.
• What is your level? A beginner needs a tutor who speaks slowly and clearly. Read the profile to see who they usually teach.
• When can you study? Choose a tutor whose free hours match yours, so you can have lessons every week.
• Start with one lesson. Book one lesson first. If it feels right, book more. If not, try a different tutor.

Practise speaking between lessons

A tutor is one or two hours a week. The rest of the week you can still speak. Read our guide on how to practise English speaking alone, read a graded story out loud, or use the text-to-speech tool to hear a sentence before you say it.

Frequently asked questions