Delivery, Pronunciation, Intonation & Pacing Guidelines

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Delivery, Pronunciation, Intonation & Pacing Guidelines

1. What ETS Evaluators Listen For

ETS uses speech recognition AI and human raters to evaluate:

Pacing: Not too fast, not too slow. Natural speech pauses between clauses.
Intonation: Varying pitch to emphasize key contrast words rather than speaking in a flat monotone.
Pronunciation: Clear articulation of consonant clusters and vowel distinctions.

2. Eliminating Vocal Fillers

Replace "um", "uh", "like", "you know" with silent pauses. A 1-second silence sounds thoughtful and controlled; continuous "uhhhhh" lowers fluency ratings.