Know the Top 30 Dictation Words for PTE Exam & Challenges

Written by Himangi  »  Updated on: May 15th, 2025

The PTE exam is an English language skill test recognized globally. It assesses your ability to communicate in English fluently. Test takers are scanned through listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks. However, each section has a different demand, and you have to cater to that one. Talking specifically about the listening section, dictation words are the scoring area in the PTE test.

These words will increase your knowledge of PTE. Therefore, this article covers a list of the top 30 words that will help throughout your preparation, and you will be confident enough in your performance before the PTE result check dates. In addition to this, the write-up below also discusses the challenges faced by students and tips to improve scores. 

Overview of Dictation Words in the PTE Listening

In the PTE test, you have to write the dictated words after an audio clip. This is conducted mainly in a typing exercise. The purpose of this exercise is to improve your ability to grasp and process the details as fast as possible. However, there is no limit to learning, but still, to score well in the PTE exam, you can refer to the list of the top 30 words in the next section with their possible meaning.

List of 30 Dictation Words in PTE Exam

In the PTE listening test, test takers have to answer in written form based on what they hear. Overconfidence may deduct your marks. Thus, it is general advice to practice words and their spelling with meaning. Thus, the table below contains 30 PTE dictation words.

WordsExplanation
AbandonTo leave something or someone behind
AccumulateTo gather or collect gradually
AdequateSufficient or acceptable
AestheticRelating to beauty or art
AnalysisDetailed examination of elements
AppreciationRecognition of the value of something
CatastropheA sudden disaster or calamity
CircumstanceA condition that affects a situation
CollaborationWorking together to achieve a goal
CompensationPayment for work or damages
ComprehendTo understand something fully
ConsequenceA result or effect of an action
DiscrepancyAn inconsistency or difference
DistinctionA difference between similar things
DiverseShowing a great deal of variety
EfficientWorking in a well-organized and productive way
ElaborateDetailed and complicated
EvaluateTo assess or judge the value or quality
NavigateTo find the way, especially in complex situations
OrientationThe determination of position or direction
ParameterA boundary or limit that affects how something functions
PerspectiveA particular point of view
PredominantBeing the strongest or main element
RelevanceImportance or significance to the matter at hand
ResolutionThe act of solving a problem or dispute
SophisticatedComplex and advanced in design or function
SubstantialOf considerable importance or size
SimultaneousHappening or existing at the same time
AmbiguousOpen to more than one interpretation; unclear
ConspicuousEasily seen or noticed; attracting attention

Challenges Faced by Students in Dictation Words

There are various challenges students may face in the PTE exam dictation task. Thus, the following are the types of challenges one faces during the exam:

  • Memory Retentively: Test takers have to listen to sentences and hold them in memory, and then write them down quickly. You need to perform all these very quickly, and this might be problematic for the student.
  • Misspelling & Grammatical Error: Misspelling and grammatical errors show your lack of presence of mind, so don’t commit spelling and grammatical mistakes.
  • Slow Thought Process: Generally, the audio clips in the PTE exam are often too short and demand a quick process and remembering the information.
  • Accent Problem: In the PTE test, audio clips contain a mix of different accents. You need to be able to rapidly process the meaning of the sentence and transcribe it.

Knowing your weak area is as crucial as knowing a strong one. So, openly accept your mistakes and work on them to give yourself the best reason to celebrate after the PTE result check with your family and friends. Thus, you need to follow some tips to improve the dictation section efficiently.

Tips to Improve Dictation in The PTE Exam

To improve your dictation performance in the exam, you need to focus on listening habits and practice with different audio speeds and accents. However, the following are more words with meaning given below:

  • Practice listening actively to not just words but the meaning of the sentence.
  • Create your abbreviation for phrases to save time.
  • Identify the keywords that will help you to reconstruct the sentence.
  • Avoid tough note-taking and keep it simple and focused.
  • Start with different audio clips from slow to fast speed to improve your accuracy and attentiveness.
  • Honestly analyse your mistakes and then improve those weak areas.
  • Try to answer all the questions to increase your score; hence, do not skip any questions as there is no negative marking.

Conclusion

To conclude, dictation words for the PTE listening section may hike your score. This article covers a list of dictation words that will be useful for students to ace their listening section. Moreover, with regular practice, focusing on the key elements and following the above tips will improve your score. Still, you are facing doubts related to PTE exam dates, registration, mock test, etc., you can connect with the experts from Gradding.com. They have a free PTE coaching and consultancy service to help.


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