PTE 79+ Write From Dictation Spelling Rules & Cheat Sheet
Pearson AI Scoring Insight: Write From Dictation is scored by exact string matching against the master audio transcript. Misspelling a word awards 0 points for that token. Adding correct alternative spellings (e.g., both singular and plural forms) in WFD is permissible because Pearson does not penalize incorrect extra words!
High-Frequency WFD Words That Decide 79+
| Target Word | Fatal Exam Trap | Memory Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology | ❌ Archeology / Archaeolagy | Think ARCH-AE-OLOGY (AE diphthong) |
| Curriculum | ❌ Curriculam / Curiculum | Double R, single L, ends in -UM |
| Dissertation | ❌ Disertation | Double S: Dis-ser-ta-tion |
| Laboratory | ❌ Labratory | Contains LABOR: Labor-a-tory |
| Prerequisite | ❌ Pre-requisit / Prerequisit | Ends in -SITE (Think: Required on site) |
| Questionnaire | ❌ Questionaire | Double N before AIRE |
| Scholarly | ❌ Scholarley / Scholarlye | Ends in standard -LY |
| Syllabus | ❌ Sylabus / Syllebus | Double L: Syl-la-bus |
The 3 Non-Negotiable PTE Spelling Rules
1. The Extra-Word Strategy for Plural Uncertainty
If you cannot hear whether the speaker said assignment or assignments, type both: assignment assignments. Pearson's AI checks for the presence of the correct word and awards full marks.
2. Standard Consistency (US vs UK)
Pearson accepts US spelling (behavior, theater) and UK spelling (behaviour, theatre), but do not mix conventions within the same paragraph in Summarize Written Text.
⚡ Practice 50 Critical PTE Dictation Words
Drill with syllable chunking, hidden words, and automated speech pronunciation.
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