The problem begins with the alphabet itself. Building a spelling…
Read the text aloud.
The problem begins with the alphabet itself. Building a spelling system for English using letters that come from Latin – despite the two languages not sharing exactly the same set of sounds – is like building a playroom using an IKEA office set.
Opens question #010041 in the RealPTE practice screen.
How to read it
The problem begins with the alphabet itself.‖Building a spelling system for English|using letters that come from Latin –‖despite the two languages not sharing exactly the same set of sounds –‖is like building a playroom|using an IKEA office set.
| short pause ‖ breathe
Words to stress correctly
| exactly | ex·ACT·ly | /ɪɡˈzæktli/ |
| languages | LAN·guag·es | /ˈlæŋɡwədʒəz/ |
| alphabet | AL·pha·bet | /ˈælfəbɛt/ |
| despite | de·SPITE | /dɪˈspaɪt/ |
| begins | be·GINS | /bɪˈɡɪnz/ |
| itself | it·SELF | /ɪtˈsɛlf/ |
43 words, aim for 17–20 seconds. No numbers. Breathe after itself., at the first dash after Latin –, and at the second dash after sounds –; lower your voice slightly for the aside between the dashes, then lift it again on is like building.
Where marks are usually lost
be·GINS, de·SPITE, it·SELF and ex·ACT·ly stress the second syllable; AL·pha·bet and LAN·guag·es stress the first. Keep the -s on begins, letters, languages, sounds. Say IKEA as a word without hesitating.
General tip: The subject Building a spelling system… is separated from its verb is like by a long aside; keep the pitch high at sounds – so the listener hears the sentence isn't finished.
What it means: 中文 · हिन्दी · नेपाली · Tiếng Việt
中文: 问题从字母表本身就开始了。用源自拉丁语的字母为英语建立一套拼写系统——尽管这两种语言的语音并不完全相同——就像用一套宜家办公家具来搭建一间游戏室。
हिन्दी: समस्या वर्णमाला से ही शुरू होती है। लैटिन से आए अक्षरों का उपयोग करके अंग्रेज़ी के लिए वर्तनी प्रणाली बनाना—जबकि दोनों भाषाओं में ध्वनियों का ठीक एक जैसा समूह नहीं है—ऐसा है जैसे IKEA के ऑफ़िस फ़र्नीचर सेट से बच्चों का खेलघर बनाना।
नेपाली: समस्या वर्णमालाबाटै सुरु हुन्छ। ल्याटिनबाट आएका अक्षरहरू प्रयोग गरेर अङ्ग्रेजीका लागि हिज्जे प्रणाली बनाउनु—दुई भाषाका ध्वनिहरूको समूह ठ्याक्कै एउटै नभए पनि—IKEA को अफिस फर्निचर सेट प्रयोग गरेर खेल्ने कोठा बनाउनुजस्तै हो।
Tiếng Việt: Vấn đề bắt đầu từ chính bảng chữ cái. Xây dựng một hệ thống chính tả cho tiếng Anh bằng những chữ cái đến từ tiếng Latin—dù hai ngôn ngữ không có cùng một tập hợp âm thanh hoàn toàn giống nhau—giống như xây một phòng chơi bằng bộ nội thất văn phòng của IKEA.
More Read Aloud questions
Read Aloud format (Pearson)
| Prompt | Text up to 60 words |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 30–40 seconds |
| Time to answer | Depends on the length of the text |
| Skills assessed | Speaking |
| Scored on | Content; Pronunciation; Oral fluency |
How it is scored
- Content is scored by counting the correct words in your response.
- If you stay silent for more than 3 seconds, the recording stops.
- You can record your response only once.
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 1: Speaking & Writing, checked 9 October 2026.