Hi everyone! It’s me again — June, your IELTS Tutor. 
Today, we’ll look at a detailed explanation of how to achieve your target band score for Fluency and Coherence in the IELTS Speaking test. I hope this helps guide you toward the score you’re aiming for.
To begin with, fluency & Coherence has 4 main components that examiners judge:
1.
Fluency – smoothness, speed, and flow of speech
2.
Hesitation – why and how often you pause
3.
Repetition & Self-Correction – how often you repair your speech
4.
Coherence & Cohesion – how well your ideas link with connectives/discourse markers and how logically they are organised.
Each band describes how these four behave. Let’s discuss them in more detail.
BAND 9 – Expert Fluency & Coherence
1. Fluency
•
Speaks effortlessly, like a near-native.
•
Words come automatically; sentences flow continuously.
•
No unnatural breakdowns in speed or rhythm.
2. Hesitation
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Any hesitation is because of thinking about ideas, not because you can't find words.
•
Hesitations are short, natural, and do not interrupt flow.
3. Repetition & Self-Correction
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Very rare repetition or correction.
•
If correction happens, it is high-level (fixing precise meaning, not grammar).
4. Coherence & Cohesive Devices
•
Uses cohesive devices perfectly and naturally:
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“However,” “consequently,” “in addition,” “on the contrary,” “moreover.”
•
Topic develops fully with clear explanations, examples, and reasoning.
•
Ideas unfold logically with advanced structure.
Example (Band 9 style)
“One major change in modern communication is the rise of visual content. For instance, short-form videos have become a dominant way of expressing ideas. This shift has reshaped how younger generations consume information, making learning both more dynamic and, at times, more fragmented.”
BAND 8 – Very Good Fluency & Coherence
1. Fluency
•
Very smooth and natural most of the time.
•
Occasional small pauses but overall strong flow.
2. Hesitation
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Mostly idea-related, but occasionally to search for language.
•
Hesitations are subtle, not disruptive.
3. Repetition & Self-Correction
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Occasional repetition or repair but does not affect coherence.
•
Mistakes are usually about wording, not grammar.
4. Coherence & Cohesive Devices
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Uses cohesive devices accurately most of the time.
•
May not be as sophisticated as Band 9.
•
Ideas are clear, well-organised, and usually fully developed.
Example (Band 8 style)
“Social media has changed our attention span to some extent. It encourages quick consumption, but at the same time, many platforms now promote longer content. So, overall, I think the effect is mixed.”
BAND 7 – Good Fluency & Coherence
1. Fluency
•
Can speak at length comfortably.
•
Flow is generally good, but noticeably less smooth than Band 8.
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Occasional loss of flow when searching for words.
2. Hesitation
•
Language-related hesitation appears:
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“uh…,” “hmm…,” “how do I say this...”
•
Sometimes pauses to think of grammar or vocabulary.
3. Repetition & Self-Correction
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Some repetition, especially when looking for the right word.
•
Self-correction is common but not excessive.
•
Doesn’t usually cause confusion.
4. Coherence & Cohesive Devices
•
Uses a range of connectives like:
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“first of all,” “because,” “so,” “however,” “on the other hand.”
•
But sometimes:
◦
may overuse the same ones
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or use them less flexibly
•
Ideas are mostly clear but sometimes lack full development.
Example (Band 7 style)
“I think online learning is helpful because it’s convenient. And… um… it allows people to study anywhere. But at the same time, it can be distracting, you know, since you’re at home and there are many interruptions.”
BAND 6 – Competent Fluency & Coherence
1. Fluency
•
Shows willingness to speak at length, but:
◦
pauses more often
◦
flow breaks down
◦
speech can sound choppy
•
Often relies on simple phrases when stuck.
2. Hesitation
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Hesitation is mainly because of language difficulty.
•
Long pauses appear when searching for vocabulary or grammar.
3. Repetition & Self-Correction
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Repetition is noticeable:
repeating words, phrases, or restarting sentences.
•
Frequent self-correction interrupts the flow.
4. Coherence & Cohesive Devices
•
Uses basic cohesive devices (and, but, because, so).
•
Sometimes misuses them:
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saying “because” when the idea is not a reason
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repeating “and” many times
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Coherence breaks occasionally:
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ideas jump
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explanations incomplete
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sometimes the listener must work harder to follow.
Example (Band 6 style)
“Online learning is… it is good because you can… you can study at home. And also, um, it is cheaper. But sometimes I feel bored, and, uh, I can’t concentrate well because… because it’s, uh, noisy.”
I won’t go into the lower band scores in detail, since most students planning to study abroad usually need a Band 6 or higher, depending on the institution they are applying to. I hope this explanation of Fluency and Coherence is helpful for your upcoming IELTS preparation. Stay tuned for my next blog, where I’ll break down the criteria for Lexical Resource.
