Every IELTS preparation guide tells candidates to use linking words. What most guides don't explain is that the wrong linking words — or the right ones used in the wrong way — actively hurt your Fluency and Coherence score. Understanding the difference between linking words that examiners reward and those that make your speech sound scripted changes your practice strategy immediately.
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The linking word trap that lowers scores
The most common linking word mistake is overusing a small set of connectors: 'moreover,' 'furthermore,' 'in addition,' 'additionally.' These are formal written-English connectors — they appear naturally in academic essays but sound unnatural in spoken conversation. A candidate who says 'I enjoy cooking. Moreover, I find it relaxing. Furthermore, my mother taught me' sounds like they are reading from a document, not having a conversation.
The IELTS speaking test is an oral interview, not a written test delivered aloud. The Fluency and Coherence criterion rewards connectors that feel natural in speech. Using connectors that belong in written English in a speaking context signals to the examiner that the candidate has practiced writing more than speaking, or has memorized connectors from a list without experiencing them in genuine spoken communication.
Linking words that work in spoken English
These connectors sound natural in speech and register well with examiners: for addition — 'and also,' 'on top of that,' 'what's more,' 'not only that'; for contrast — 'but,' 'although,' 'then again,' 'having said that,' 'that said,' 'on the other hand'; for cause and effect — 'because of that,' 'as a result,' 'which means that,' 'so'; for examples — 'for example,' 'for instance,' 'like,' 'such as,' 'a good example would be.'
Notice that many of these are simple, common words — 'but,' 'so,' 'because.' These are not weak choices. They are accurate choices. 'I don't watch much television, but I do listen to podcasts' is more natural and scores just as well as 'I do not watch much television; however, I do listen to podcasts.' In speech, 'but' and 'however' are not equivalent — 'but' is conversational, 'however' is formal-written. Using 'however' casually in a Part 1 answer about hobbies creates a register mismatch that the coherence criterion penalizes.
How to vary your connectors without sounding rehearsed
The examiner's expectation for a band 7 Fluency and Coherence score is 'a range of cohesive devices.' Range means more than three or four distinct types of connector used appropriately — it does not mean using a long, formal connector to prove sophistication. A candidate who uses 'but,' 'because,' 'so,' 'for example,' 'although,' 'that said,' and 'as a result' across a 15-minute exam has demonstrated range. A candidate who uses only 'furthermore,' 'moreover,' and 'in addition' has not.
Practice exercise: record a Part 3 answer and transcribe it. Highlight every connector. Then check: did you use more than four different types? Did any feel forced or written-register? Replace forced ones with conversational equivalents. Then re-record the answer using the improved connectors. After a week of this exercise, your spoken connector range typically becomes natural rather than deliberate — which is exactly where it needs to be for the exam.
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See your score first, fix one weak pattern, and retry the same topic with clearer fluency and stronger structure.
Signaling structure in Part 2 without sounding scripted
Part 2 is where structural linking is most important — you have 2 minutes and need to stay organized without being able to ask the examiner for guidance. Useful Part 2 structural phrases: 'I want to talk about...' (opening), 'The main reason I chose this is...', 'What I particularly remember about it is...', 'Another thing worth mentioning is...', 'To sum up, I'd say...' (closing if time allows).
These phrases signal structure without sounding scripted because they are first-person and specific to speaking. Compare 'Firstly, I will discuss the background. Secondly, I will examine the key features.' (essay-template, unnatural) with 'So, I want to start with how this came about, and then I'll tell you what made it so memorable.' (spoken, natural). The second frames a structure just as clearly as the first but sounds like a person talking, not a person reading.