Pte highlight incorrect words tips 2026

PTE Highlight Incorrect Words Tips & Tricks 2026: Score in Both Listening AND Reading

ByAlex
Pte listening - highlight incorrect words
PTE Highlight Incorrect Words

PTE Highlight Incorrect Words Tips & Tricks 2026: Score in Both Listening AND Reading

Quick Answer: Read along with the audio and click words that differ from what the speaker says – you typically need to identify 2-5 incorrect words per question. Speed-read ahead of the audio and mark discrepancies in real time rather than reviewing afterwards.

Hey guys, Alex here.

Here’s a fact that surprises almost every student I work with: PTE Highlight Incorrect Words counts toward BOTH your Listening score AND your Reading score.

It’s the only task in the Listening section that directly feeds into your Reading score too – 8% of Listening and 13% of Reading. That means every time you do a Highlight Incorrect Words question well, you’re earning marks in two different communicative skill scores simultaneously.

And yet most students treat it as a throwaway task. They rush through it, highlight randomly, or don’t prepare for it at all.

That stops today.

Last updated: 18 June 2026

In this guide:

What Is PTE Highlight Incorrect Words?

Highlight Incorrect Words is a Listening section task where:

  1. You hear an audio recording being played
  2. You see a transcript of that recording on screen
  3. Some words in the transcript have been replaced with incorrect words
  4. Your job is to click on each word in the text that differs from what you hear

You typically get 2-3 of these questions per exam. The audio plays once only – no replay.

Scoring: You receive +1 for each correctly identified incorrect word and -1 for each word you click that was NOT incorrect. This means clicking randomly will hurt you. If you’re not sure about a word, don’t click it.

Why PTE Highlight Incorrect Words Matters More Than You Think

Let me show you exactly why this task deserves serious attention.

From the official Pearson weighting table:

Skill Weight
Overall score contribution 4%
Listening score contribution 8%
Reading score contribution 13%

That 13% of Reading is significant. It means your Highlight Incorrect Words performance contributes more to your Reading score than Reorder Paragraphs (9%) and Multiple Choice Single Answer (3%).

For students struggling with Reading, this is an opportunity hiding in the Listening section.

PTE Highlight Incorrect Words Tips & Tricks (2026)

Tip #1: Read Ahead While You Listen

Before the audio starts (or during the brief preparation time), skim the transcript quickly. Get a general sense of the topic and structure. When the audio plays, your eyes should be moving through the text as the speaker speaks.

The goal is to process words visually and aurally at the same time. When a mismatch occurs, it creates a small but noticeable “snap” – a feeling that something doesn’t match. Trust that instinct.

Tip #2: Track Word by Word – Don’t Get Left Behind

The audio and transcript usually align closely. If you fall behind, you’ll miss mismatches. Keep your cursor or finger moving along the text at the same pace as the audio.

What to do if you get lost: Quickly scan for a distinctive word you can hear in the audio, find it in the transcript, and re-anchor from there. Don’t freeze.

Tip #3: Focus on Content Words, Not Function Words

Incorrect words are almost always content words – nouns, verbs, adjectives, numbers. Function words (the, of, in, a, and) are rarely changed because they’re too easy to overlook.

So if you’re listening and something feels wrong, look at the content words in that part of the text first.

Tip #4: Trust What You Hear, Not What “Sounds Right”

The text is designed to read naturally even with the wrong words. The incorrect words often make grammatical sense – they just don’t match the audio.

Example: The audio says “The study examined 400 patients.” The text reads “The study examined 40 patients.” Did you catch it? If you were reading too quickly, you might not. Listen actively.

Tip #5: Don’t Over-Click

Because incorrect answers subtract points, restraint is a strategy. If you hear something odd but aren’t confident, skip it. It’s better to score 0 on a word than -1.

Most Highlight Incorrect Words questions have 2-5 mismatches. If you’ve already identified 4-5 mismatches and the audio is nearly finished, resist the urge to click more “just in case.”

Tip #6: Practice with Authentic Material

The best way to train your ear-to-text matching speed is to:

  • Listen to academic podcasts and BBC/ABC radio while reading along to transcripts
  • Use our PTE Listening practice modules for task-specific drills
  • Practice with the official Pearson scored practice tests

Common Mistakes Students Make

Mistake #1: Clicking too fast
If you click a word and then realise it was correct, you can’t unclick. Move deliberately.

Mistake #2: Panicking when the audio is fast
Some audio recordings have a faster pace. If you miss a mismatch, let it go and stay with the current position. Chasing a missed word will only cause you to miss more.

Mistake #3: Not reviewing at the end
If you have a few seconds left after the audio finishes, scan your highlighted words quickly. Does each one look genuinely incorrect? This quick review often catches accidental clicks.

Mistake #4: Underestimating this task’s reading impact
We see students neglect this task because it’s “Listening” – and then wonder why their Reading score is lower than expected. Remember: 13% of your Reading score lives here.

How Highlight Incorrect Words Fits Your Listening Strategy

Listening is one of the most distributed scores in PTE – spread across 8 question types. Here’s where Highlight Incorrect Words sits in the bigger picture:

Question Type Listening Weight
Summarize Group Discussion 20%
Repeat Sentence 17%
Write from Dictation 13%
Retell Lecture 13%
Summarize Spoken Text 10%
Fill in the Blanks (Type In) 8%
Highlight Incorrect Words 8%
Multiple Choice questions 3-5%

For a full breakdown of every question’s weight and what to prioritise, see our PTE Score Breakdown guide.

Your 5-Minute Daily Practice Routine

You don’t need hours to master this task. Here’s a focused daily routine:

  1. Listen to a 2-minute audio while reading along to its transcript (podcast, news, TED)
  2. Mark any words in the transcript that don’t match what you hear
  3. Check your answers against the actual transcript
  4. Repeat with one new audio clip

Do this for 5-7 days and your ear-to-text matching speed will improve dramatically.

Related Reading from Dream English

Does Highlight Incorrect Words really count toward my Reading score?

Yes. According to Pearson’s official weighting table, Highlight Incorrect Words contributes 8% to your Listening score and 13% to your Reading score. It is one of only two Listening tasks that also directly affects your Reading score, making it a dual-impact task worth prioritising.

How many incorrect words are there in each Highlight Incorrect Words question?

Typically 2-5 words per question are changed in the transcript. There is no fixed number – it varies by question. Because incorrect answers subtract points, avoid clicking words you’re not reasonably confident about.

Can I replay the audio in Highlight Incorrect Words?

No. The audio in PTE Highlight Incorrect Words plays once only. This is why tracking the text in real time while listening is so important – you do not get a second chance to catch mismatches you missed.

What happens if I click a word that is actually correct?

You lose 1 point for each incorrectly highlighted word. This negative marking rule is what makes restraint important. If you’re not confident a word is wrong, it’s safer to leave it unhighlighted than to risk a point deduction.

How do I prepare for Highlight Incorrect Words at home?

The best home practice is listening to audio while reading its transcript and marking any mismatches you hear. Use podcasts, ABC or BBC news audio, or our PTE-specific listening practice modules. Even 5 minutes daily of this practice sharpens your audio-text matching ability significantly.

Ready to Practice?

Access our full Listening section practice – including Highlight Incorrect Words drills with immediate feedback – at platform.dreamenglish.com.au/pte-listening.

Dream English has helped 5,000+ students hit their PTE target, with 700+ five-star reviews across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and online. Have questions? Message me directly on WhatsApp: +61 423 058 115.

  • Alex, Director, Dream English Education

Source: Scoring data sourced from Pearson’s official “PTE Academic Scoring Information for Teachers and Partners” (pearsonpte.com).

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