How to Find an IELTS Speaking Partner: Free, AI and Paid Options

An IELTS speaking partner, or speaking buddy, is anyone who will ask you questions, let you finish, and tell you what they heard. You can find one for free in IELTS study groups on Reddit, Discord and Telegram, in language-exchange apps, or in the PrepEx IELTS community. When nobody is available, an AI voice assistant can play the examiner. If you need someone to judge your speaking, that is a job for a teacher, and it usually costs money.

Many learners combine two or three of these. The table below shows what each one is good for.

Practise with an IELTS teacher on Google Meet
A private 30-minute session with Aydin Ismayilpur, the Hero Teacher, or Kate Feng, including feedback. PrepEx runs this session; it is independent practice, not an official IELTS test.

Do you need a speaking partner for IELTS?

The IELTS Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with a certificated examiner. It is recorded and takes 11–14 minutes in three parts (official Speaking format):

• Part 1 (4–5 minutes): questions about familiar topics such as home, work, studies or interests.
• Part 2 (3–4 minutes): a task card, one minute to prepare, then up to two minutes of talking. The examiner stops you when the time is up and may ask one or two more questions.
• Part 3 (4–5 minutes): a discussion of wider issues linked to the Part 2 topic.

The examiner assesses fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Academic and General Training candidates take the same Speaking test.

You can prepare alone, but a few things are hard to practise without another person. Someone else asks the follow-up question you did not expect. They stop you at two minutes. They look confused when a word is unclear. Part 3 especially depends on being pushed: “Why do you think that?” or “Is that true everywhere?”

A partner does not need to be a native speaker or have a higher level than you. They need to turn up, keep time and ask questions. What a partner usually cannot do is give you a reliable band score. Treat a peer’s “you sound like a 7” as encouragement, not information.

Where can I find a free IELTS speaking partner online?

Most free partners come from a handful of places. Member counts below were taken from each group’s public page on 14 October 2026.

Reddit: r/IELTS and r/language_exchange

r/IELTS has a “Study Partner Request” post flair, and a few new partner requests appear most weeks. The moderators’ bot replies to each one with a reminder that members cannot be screened, so keep personal details out of the thread and move to private messages. If you can offer your own language in return, r/language_exchange works too. Titles there must follow the “Offering: X | Seeking: Y” format, and phone numbers or WhatsApp contacts are not allowed in public posts.

IELTS Discord servers

Discord is the easiest place to find someone for a voice call today, because servers have voice channels and partner channels built in.

• IELTS Prep is the largest IELTS server we found: 35,984 members, with about a thousand online when we checked. It has speaking partner channels and question bots, and says it is not affiliated with IELTS, IDP or the British Council.
• IELTS, the server linked to r/IELTS, has 4,221 members and dedicated speaking partner and practice rooms.
• General English servers such as English Speaking Practice (118,231 members) are busier, but most people there are not preparing for IELTS.

IELTS speaking partner groups on Telegram and WhatsApp

Search Telegram for “IELTS speaking partner” and you will find groups such as IELTS Speaking Partners (1,328 members). Check a group yourself before relying on it. Many large “IELTS” channels are run by tutors or prep centres to sell courses, directory member counts are often wrong, and an old group link can now lead to a different group altogether. Some channels advertise “recent” or “actual” test questions; leave those alone (see the safety notes below).

WhatsApp groups are usually shared by invitation inside other communities. There is no reliable public directory. The bigger issue is privacy: in most groups, every member can see your phone number.

Facebook groups

Large IELTS Facebook groups have many members and little moderation, and partner requests are common. Be careful which group you join. One well-known “IELTS Speaking Partners” group was taken over in 2024, and its founder says it is now used to sell fake documents. Facebook groups are also where offers of fake IELTS certificates tend to appear.

Language-exchange apps: Tandem and HelloTalk

Tandem and HelloTalk match you with people who want to learn your language while you practise English. Both are free to use, with paid upgrades, and both support voice and video calls. You will usually spend half the time helping with your own language, and few partners know the IELTS format, so bring the questions and the timer yourself. Tandem bans flirting and HelloTalk asks you to report it; block anyone who uses the app that way.

The PrepEx IELTS community

In the PrepEx IELTS community you can read Speaking discussions without an account and post once you join. Aydin Ismayilpur, the Hero Teacher, answers selected questions every Friday and runs live webinars. Ask there if another learner wants to practise, or post a speaking question you are stuck on. Joining does not guarantee a match, so arrange the call yourselves.

Offline: libraries, universities and meetups

Many public libraries run free English conversation clubs, and some universities pair international students with conversation partners. On Meetup, groups with “IELTS” in the name are usually small; general English conversation groups in your city are often more active. Ask whether a group is free before you go, because some are paid classes.

A partner request that gets replies

“Looking for a speaking partner” on its own gets few useful answers. Give people enough to decide in ten seconds. Copy this and change the details:

IELTS speaking partner wanted
Test date: 28 November (Academic)
Current level: Speaking 6.0 in my last test, aiming for 7.0
Time zone: GMT+5. Free on weekdays 19:00–21:00 my time
Format: 30 minutes on Google Meet, 2–3 times a week. We take turns as examiner and keep a timer
Focus: Part 3 answers that go beyond one sentence

Say your time zone in hours from GMT. “This evening” means nothing in a group with members in Lagos, Lahore and Hanoi.

Stay safe in open groups

• Share an email address or a username, not your phone number. IDP gives the same advice for anyone looking for a practice partner. For the first call, use the group’s voice channel or a meeting link.
• In most WhatsApp groups, members can see your phone number. WhatsApp started rolling out usernames that hide your number in 2026, but they may not have reached your country yet. On Telegram you can hide your number in privacy settings.
• Do not share your passport, home address or test registration details. A practice partner never needs them.
• Ignore anyone selling certificates, guaranteed bands, score changes or “leaked” questions. IDP warns about these scams, and candidates involved in this kind of misconduct can be barred from taking IELTS.
• Leave if someone asks for money, pushes you to move to another app, or turns the conversation romantic.
• Agree before either of you records a session, and do not post someone else’s voice without asking.

Can AI be your IELTS speaking partner?

For volume, yes. An AI voice assistant is available at 2 a.m., never cancels and will ask you a hundred Part 1 questions. Google Trends interest in “IELTS speaking AI” rose almost sixfold between 2024 and 2026.

It is weaker at the things that matter on test day. Speech recognition tends to guess the word you meant, so a mispronounced word can appear correctly in the transcript. An AI chat that is happy to keep talking does not feel like an examiner who moves you on. And a band number from a general chatbot is a guess, not an assessment.

Free AI speaking partners

• ChatGPT voice mode is available on the free plan with daily limits.
• Gemini Live is free in the Gemini app on Android and iOS, though not in the web version.
• Speak & Improve, a free research tool from Cambridge, scores short speaking tests on the CEFR scale. Its tests are based on Linguaskill, not IELTS, so treat it as general speaking practice.

None of these has an IELTS mode built in, so give them clear instructions. Voice assistants may keep your recordings or transcripts, so check the privacy settings before you start.

How to use ChatGPT or Gemini as an IELTS examiner

Open the voice mode, paste this prompt, and answer out loud. Ask for the transcript at the end so you can read what you said.

Act as an IELTS Speaking examiner. Run one full practice test.
Part 1: ask me 8–10 short questions on two familiar topics, one question at a time.
Part 2: give me a task card with a topic and three or four prompts. Tell me to prepare for one minute, then say "Please begin". Do not interrupt me. Stop me after two minutes and ask one short follow-up question.
Part 3: ask 4–6 discussion questions linked to the Part 2 topic. Ask "why" when my answer is short.
Do not correct me or comment during the test.
When we finish, show my full transcript. Then give me three specific problems, quoting my exact words, and one thing to change in my next attempt. Do not give me a band score.

Run the same prompt again a week later and compare the two transcripts. Count how often you used the same linking word, and how many Part 3 answers ended after one sentence. That comparison is more useful than any score the chat produces.

IELTS-specific AI practice

Dedicated IELTS tools record Part 1, 2 and 3 answers with real timers and give estimated feedback against the four criteria. In PrepEx you can record answers to Parts 1–3 and see estimated bands with comments on each criterion. IELTS Pro also shows a Band 9 version of your own answer, built from your ideas. Free sample tasks are available with an account; usage limits apply. These bands are practice estimates, not official IELTS results.

Whichever tool you use, check three things: whether it shows the transcript of what you said, whether it comments on all four criteria, and whether its comments quote your words. Feedback that could apply to anyone is not worth much.

How much does a paid IELTS speaking partner or tutor cost?

Tutor marketplaces let you filter for IELTS and book a trial before committing. Tutors set their own rates, so compare a few profiles and check the current price before you book.

On every one of these platforms, keep payment inside the platform. italki’s and Preply’s rules both forbid paying a tutor outside the site, and their refund and cancellation policies only cover lessons booked there.

Official speaking mocks from the British Council and IDP

The organisations that run IELTS also sell speaking practice with a teacher, but what is available depends on your country. These were the options published on 14 October 2026:

• IDP IELTS Speaking Coaching: 45 minutes on Zoom with a trained IELTS coach, including a 15-minute practice test, spoken feedback, and a written action plan by email. It is listed on IDP Japan’s site. In Türkiye, IDP sells a similar Speaking Assist session.
• British Council Malaysia 1-to-1: a two-hour Zoom session with a full practice Speaking test, Writing feedback and a personal report.
• British Council IELTS Coach: online credit packs that include private speaking practice tests with a teacher. What is sold varies by country.
• British Council IELTS Ready: free practice, with a Premium version that is free from registration until seven days after your test if you book with the British Council. Speaking feedback there comes from AI, not a live examiner.

Some offers have closed. British Council India’s SpeakREADY mock is not being delivered at the moment, and IDP Australia’s IELTS Assist ended on 1 July 2026, although older articles still recommend both. Check your own country’s British Council or IDP site before you book.

When is paying worth it?

A free partner is enough for building fluency and getting used to the format. Paying makes more sense in a few situations:

• Your test is a few weeks away and you do not know which criterion is holding you back.
• You have taken IELTS more than once and your Speaking band has not moved.
• You need a specific score for a visa, university or professional registration.
• Your partners are kind but cannot explain why an answer worked or did not.

Before you book, ask the tutor how they will give feedback: during the answer, after each part, or in writing afterwards. Ask whether they have taught IELTS Speaking before. A trial lesson is the easiest way to check.

A live IELTS speaking mock test with a teacher

PrepEx runs one-to-one IELTS speaking sessions with Aydin Ismayilpur, known as the Hero Teacher, and Kate Feng. You choose from the times each teacher has published. Aydin holds CELTA (Pass B), scored Band 8.5 overall in IELTS and has more than 11 years of English teaching experience. He also hosts the PrepEx IELTS webinars.

Each session is 30 minutes on Google Meet, just you and the teacher. You practise speaking first, then talk through what went well, what needs attention and what to practise next. The sample report from the Hero Teacher shows an estimated band for each of the four criteria, three priorities and a seven-day practice plan. You can see it on the session page. The exact report format can differ between teachers.

• Price: one payment per session, with a lower member price for IELTS Pro. No subscription is needed. The booking page shows the current price.
• Booking: choose a published time in your own time zone. You can book as a guest.
• Changes: you can cancel a confirmed booking before it starts and use the restored voucher for another time. Cancellation does not give a cash refund.
• What it is not: an official IELTS test. It does not issue an IELTS result or guarantee a band.

One session works best as a check-up: book it early enough to act on the priorities, then practise those with your partner or AI before test day.

See available times

How to run your first session with a speaking partner

Agree on the plan before you start, and keep a timer where both of you can see it. Thirty minutes is enough for each person to do a short mock and get feedback.

When you give feedback, write down what you heard and roughly when, not a band. This sheet follows the four criteria in plain language.

Practice questions for your first session

These are original practice questions written for this guide. They are not recalled exam questions or predictions.

Part 1: Conversations

• Who do you talk to most in a normal day?
• Do you prefer phone calls or messages? Why?
• Is it easy for you to start a conversation with someone new?

Part 2 task card

Describe a conversation that changed your mind about something.
You should say:
who you were talking to
where the conversation happened
what you discussed
and explain why it changed your opinion.

Part 3: Talking and listening

• Why do some people find it hard to change their opinion during a discussion?
• Are people better at listening to each other now than in the past?
• Will people practise foreign languages with computers more than with other people in future?

For a longer coached routine with a partner, use our speaking partner session plan. To rehearse all three parts without stopping, use the mock test at home guide.

How to practise IELTS speaking alone at home

Partners cancel. On those days:

• Record one Part 2 talk. Set a timer for one minute of notes and two minutes of speaking. Listen back and type out the first 30 seconds. You will see fillers and repeated words you did not notice while speaking.
• Answer one Part 3 question three times. Each time, add a reason, an example or a comparison to the previous version.
• Shadow a short recording. Play a sentence from a podcast or news clip, pause, and copy the rhythm and stress. This helps with words you know but say unclearly.
• Use question banks with sample answers. Our Part 1 questions, Part 2 cue cards and Part 3 questions by Kate Feng include explained answers to compare with yours.

Which option should you choose?

• Your test is more than six weeks away and money is tight: find a free partner for two or three sessions a week, and use AI on the other days.
• Your test is two to four weeks away: get one teacher’s assessment now, so you know what to work on, then spend the remaining weeks on those priorities.
• Your Speaking band has not moved across two tests: pay for feedback from someone who knows the criteria. More practice in the same way tends to give the same result.
• You get nervous speaking to people: start with AI or recordings, then move to a person. The real test is a conversation with an examiner.

Book a 30-minute speaking mock with a teacher

Sources and notes

Test format and scoring come from IELTS’s Speaking test format, Demystifying the IELTS Speaking test and ways to take IELTS, and from the British Council’s Speaking preparation page, which suggests recording yourself or practising with a study partner. IDP’s four ways to practise IELTS Speaking advises sharing an email address rather than a phone number when looking for practice partners.

Plans, trial terms and group sizes were checked on the linked pages on 14 October 2026 and change often. This guide gives no prices because they change; check the current price on each site before you book.

Discord member counts come from each server’s public discovery page, and Telegram counts from public group previews, on 14 October 2026. Reddit details come from the subreddits’ pinned posts and recent partner requests.

PrepEx is not affiliated with the platforms, apps or groups named here. PrepEx runs the live speaking mock described above and the IELTS practice linked in this guide.