Shadowing Practice: Listening Practice Numbers 13 or 30 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Hello and welcome to today's IELTS Listening Practice lesson.

And today we're going to listen to the different sounds with certain numbers.

So the numbers 13 and 30, 14 and 40.

So we'll see how they are pronounced differently and how you can listen to them and write them down correctly.

So let's look at the two groups.

We have teen, which is a longer sound, and then ti, which is short, and it is a different vowel sound, the ee and i.

Also the difference when we're pronouncing these two different set of numbers is for the teen numbers, the last syllable is stressed,

but for the 30, 40, the first syllable is stressed.

Okay, so there is a difference in the stress as well as a difference in the sound

and the length of the sound.

So now let's have a look and say the teen numbers.

13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

It's really easy.

I'm making it long in the second syllable, and that's the stressed syllable.

We know it's the teen and not the other form of the number.

Now I will say the other numbers.

30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90.

So the first part, the first syllable is longer and stressed.

Okay, now I will say them together so you can hear the difference

and this is what you need to be aware of in the listening exam.

13, 30, 14, 40, 15,

50, 16, 60, 17, 70,

18, 80, 19, 90.

Okay, there's quite a big difference.

So you can use this when you speak to show which number you're saying.

Make it clear.

They should be different.

They don't sound the same.

They are quite different.

And of course, use this in the listening exam.

When you're listening for the number, think, well, which number did they say?

As well as listening for the actual sounds, also think about the logic.

Okay, if someone says, my grandmother is 17 years old, that's probably not true.

It's not 17.

It will be 70.

Okay, so think about the logic as well as the sounds, the stress, which syllable is stressed.

Okay, so this is not just about the sounds, it can be about logic, but you need to know they are not the same.

They are not pronounced the same.

There is a difference.

Be aware of it.

Practice it.

Watch this video again.

Listen to those differences.

So if you like this video, please click like.

Please share the video with your friends so they can practice this difficult listening activity.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel so you can keep up to date with my new videos.

Thank you for watching and I'll see you next time.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 42 sentences and 421 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:33. The speaker talks at a steady 118 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 90% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

pronounce /pɹəˈnaʊns/ (verb) — To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously.
examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The act of examining.
distress /dɪˈstɹɛs/ (noun) — Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
lesson /ˈlɛs.ən/ (noun) — A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/ (adverb) — In a different way.
correctly /kəˈɹɛk(t).li/ (adverb) — In a correct manner.
grandmother /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌmʌðɚ/ (noun) — A mother of someone's parent.
subscribe /səbˈskɹaɪb/ (verb) — To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name).
syllable /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/ (noun) — A unit of human speech which often forms words corresponding to one opening of the mouth; a vowel and its surrounding consonants.
vowel /ˈvaʊ.əl/ (noun) — A sound produced by the vocal cords with relatively little restriction of the oral cavity, forming the prominent sound of a syllable.
stress /stɹɛs/ (noun) — A physical, chemical, infective agent aggressing an organism.
aware /əˈwɛə/ (adjective) — Vigilant or on one's guard against danger or difficulty.
welcome /ˈwɛl.kəm/ — Greeting given upon someone's arrival.
activity /ækˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/ (noun) — The state or quality of being active; activeness.
actual /ˈækʃuəl/ (adjective) — relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical

Phrasal verbs you will hear

think about /ˈθɪŋk əˌbaʊt/ (verb) — To ponder.
look at (verb) — To observe or watch.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 8 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: grandmother /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌmʌðɚ/, length /leɪŋ(k)θ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, actual /ˈækʃuəl/
Long words — get the stress right: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/, activity /ækˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pronounce, examination, distress.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	are pronounced · is stressed · are not pronounced
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction	we'll see · will say · will be
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now	we're pronouncing · I'm making · you're saying
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary	need to be · need to know

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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