Do you speak a language where the vowel sounds are different from English when we spell words?
Example:
English A = /eɪ/ like way E = /i:/ like me I = /aɪ/ like why O = /əʊ/ like no U = /ju:/ like university
Spanish A = /æ/ like cat E = /eɪ/ like way I = /i:/ like me O = /ɒ/ like what U = /u:/ like food
Other problem letters can be g / j and f /v.
In part 1 of the listening, you will often have to listen to people spelling names and addresses, and you will have to write the correct spelling of these words. This can be a problem if your alphabet has sounds which are mixed up with English sounds.
Tip
I saw one of my students today write the sounds of the vowels and g / j at the top of her question paper right at the beginning of an IELTS listening practice paper. She is Spanish and she wrote:
a = ei e = eeeee i = ai o = phone u = you g = jeeee j = jay
She then got the correct answers on the part 1 spelling, having previously found these really difficult!
Give it a try!
Simon