What these terms mean, in plain English

• Thought group: a short chunk of speech that carries one idea. You normally pause briefly between groups.
• Chunking: the act of dividing a long sentence into thought groups that are easy to say and easy to understand.
• Focus word: the one word in a group that you want listeners to hear as the most important.
• Tonic syllable: the syllable inside the focus word where your pitch moves the most.
• Linking: smooth connection of final consonants to the next initial vowel or consonant, so groups sound natural.
• Weak forms: reduced versions of function words like to, of, and, a, can, that help rhythm.

Why chunking lifts Band 7
Fluency is not about speaking fast. It is about delivering ideas in a clean rhythm with clear peaks and controlled pauses. Good chunking prevents breathless runs, reduces filler words, and lets examiners follow your logic. It also gives you safe places to breathe, which improves pronunciation and reduces small grammar slips.

The 3 step chunk builder

1. Slice for meaning: mark slashes where a new idea starts or where a clause ends. Aim for 4 to 7 words per group.
2. Pick a focus word: choose the most informative content word in each group.
3. Place the tonic: mark the syllable that carries the pitch change. Do not overload every word. One peak per group is enough.

Quick rules that keep groups clean

• Put numbers, names, and new facts in the same group as the verb that presents them.
• Keep function words like to, of, and with attached to the content word that follows.
• Avoid splitting phrasal verbs and fixed phrases unless you must breathe. Say look after together, not look / after.
• A short pause is a tool, not an apology. Use it to show you have finished one idea and are moving to the next.

Example 1: Planning and marking
Text: I started cycling to university because traffic was heavy and buses were crowded.
Chunked: / i STARted CYCling to u­niVER­si­ty / beCAUSE TRAFfic was HEA­vy / and BUShes were CROWded /.
Notes: Three groups. Focus words are started, traffic, buses. Tonic syllables are STAR, TRAF, BUS. The pause after university helps listeners reset.

Example 2: Longer answer with contrast
Question: Do you prefer studying at home or in the library.
Chunked: / i USUally STUdy at HOME / beCAUSE it SAVES TIME / but for EXams / i GO to the LIbrary / so i can CONCENtrate /.
Notes: The contrast but for exams gets its own small group. The final group closes the idea cleanly.

How to choose the size of a group

• If your phrase has one strong idea word, keep the group short.
• If your phrase lists two related items, keep them together and rise slightly on item one, fall on item two.
• If you feel breathless, your groups are too long. If you feel choppy, groups are too short or you chose more than one peak.

Mini case: Maliha in Dhaka
Maliha spoke fast with flat rhythm. She built a 10 minute routine for 14 days: 3 minutes slice and mark on a Part 2 script, 3 minutes shadowing a clear newscaster, 2 minutes number and list drills, 2 minutes free speaking with a metronome at 110 beats per minute. She tracked average words per thought group and percentage of groups with one clear focus word. Results: groups stabilised at 5 to 6 words, one peak per group rose from 40 to 85 percent, and her mock Speaking score moved from 6.0 to 7.0.

Timed drills with measurable targets

• Slash and cap: choose two answers you wrote for Part 2. Add slashes and write the focus word in CAPS. Read twice. Target 4 to 7 words per group and one focus only.
• Shadow 30: shadow a 30 second clip. Copy pauses and peaks. Record yourself and check that your pauses align with meaning, not with breath crashes.
• Number ladder: say 1 to 8 in one smooth fall, then in two groups 1 to 4 and 5 to 8, then as a list with small rises on early items and a fall on the last.
• List maker: practice lists in answers. Pattern: rise on items 1 to n minus 1, fall on the final item. Example: / we NEED better ROADS / CLEANER buses / and more SAFE­TY rules /.
• Pace meter: set a metronome to 100 to 120 beats per minute. Say one syllable per beat inside a group, then allow a one beat pause between groups.

Common mistakes

• Over-chunking: making every two words a group. This sounds robotic.
• Multi-peak groups: shouting all content words. Choose one focus only.
• Breathing in the middle of a word: plan breath points at group boundaries.
• Ending every group with a rise: sounds unsure. Use rises to show you have more to add, falls to sound finished.
• Ignoring weak forms: saying to, of, and in their strong forms inside groups. Reduce them to keep rhythm smooth.

Edge cases and safe fixes

• Numbers and dates: bundle the number with its noun. Say three point FIVE percent in one group.
• Names and titles: keep the full name in one group unless it is very long.
• Quotations: group the quote separately from your view so the examiner can hear the boundary.
• Corrections: if you change your mind mid group, pause and restart the group. Do not patch the middle.

Tips and tricks

• Write slashes on your cue card in practice. In the test, imagine the slashes as you speak.
• Tap your finger on the table for the focus word. Tactile cues help timing.
• Smile on positive opinions. It naturally lifts your pitch on the focus word.
• If you speed up, force a two beat pause after your first group in any long answer.

To avoid

• Racing through one breath per paragraph.
• Packing three ideas into one long group.
• Stressing function words unless you need contrast.
• Letting filler words replace planned pauses. Silence is clearer than uh.

Glossary
Thought group: one short unit of speech with a single idea.
Chunking: dividing sentences into thought groups for clarity.
Focus word: the most important word in a group.
Tonic syllable: the stressed syllable inside the focus word.
Weak forms: reduced function words inside groups.
Linking: smooth connection between words within a group.

Next steps
Pick one Part 2 topic and write 120 words. Add slashes and mark one focus per group. Record a version at normal speed and a second version 10 percent slower with planned pauses. Count groups and check that each has one peak. Repeat with a new topic tomorrow and compare recordings.

1. Actionable closing — Cheatsheet

Sizing groups

• Aim for 4 to 7 words.
• Keep numbers with their noun.
• Keep phrasal verbs together.

Building groups

• Slice for meaning, not breath.
• Choose one focus word.
• Mark the tonic syllable.

Contours

• Rise to show more is coming.
• Fall to finish an idea.
• Fall rise to show contrast or polite softening.

Daily 10 minute plan

• 3 min slice and cap.
• 3 min shadow 30.
• 2 min number or list drill.
• 2 min free speak with a metronome.

Quality checks

• One peak per group.
• Pauses align with ideas.
• Weak forms inside groups.

CTA: Take one 60 second answer now. Add slashes, pick one focus per group, and record. Listen for peaks and pause quality. Adjust, re-record, and write two metrics in your log: groups per minute and percent of groups with one peak. Repeat tomorrow and raise one metric by 10 percent.