Section 1 — Read Aloud

Adapted from accenture-prep-final/accenture-prep-comm-interview/communication/01-READ-ALOUD.md; verified in that library's QA.

Evidence: two independent first-hand accounts. [LIKELY] Official parameters hit: Pronunciation · Articulation · Fluency · Vocabulary

What it tests

A sentence appears on screen. You read it aloud. The machine compares what it hears against the words it expects, and separately measures how you said it.

This is the only section where you can see the words before you speak them. That makes it the easiest section to score well on, and the one most people waste by rushing.

What you will see

A single sentence, roughly 12–22 words, in workplace English. Around 10 seconds to respond. Usually no second attempt.

The technique

Step	Do this	Why
1	Read the whole sentence with your eyes before you speak. Two seconds	Stops mid-sentence stumbles, which cost more than a slow start
2	Start within about a second of the prompt	Response latency is directly measured
3	Steady pace, not fast. Around 130–150 words per minute	Rate of speaking is measured. Fast reading blurs word boundaries
4	Pause only at commas and clause boundaries	Pause position is measured, not just pause length
5	Finish every word. Final consonants especially: `reporT`, `askeD`, `costS`	Segmental pronunciation is measured; dropped endings lose recognised words
6	If you stumble, carry on. Do not restart	A restart wrecks fluency and latency. One wrong word costs almost nothing

The four sounds that cost Indian English speakers the most

Sound	Problem	Fix
/v/ vs /w/	`west` for `vest`	/v/ = top teeth touch bottom lip. /w/ = lips round, teeth uninvolved
/θ/ and /ð/ (think, this)	Replaced with /t/ or /d/	Tongue tip lightly between the teeth. Exaggerate it in practice
Final consonant clusters	`tex` for `texts`, `ask` for `asked`	Slow the last syllable down deliberately
Word stress	`de-VE-lop-ment` mis-stressed	Stress is measured. Learn the stress of long words you use often

Drills — 20 sentences

Record every one. Play it back. Score it with the rubric below.

We will review the weekly report and verify the numbers before the meeting starts. FOCUS: "will" and "weekly" (clear /w/, no /v/ substitution) — "verify" (distinct /v/, not /w/) — "review" (/rɪˈvjuː/, keep both sounds).
Please send the invoice to the vendor this Thursday morning and confirm the total amount. FOCUS: "vendor" (strong /v/) — "Thursday" (unvoiced /θ/, tongue between teeth) — "invoice" (first syllable /ɪn/, not /in/) — "amount" (final /nt/ closed).
Thank you for the thoughtful feedback on our team's monthly performance and sales figures. FOCUS: "thoughtful" (unvoiced /θ/, no /t/ or /d/) — "monthly" (final /θli/) — "performance" (stress on second syllable, -FOR-) — "figures" (/z/ sound, not /s/).
The manager will walk with us through the revised workflow this afternoon. FOCUS: "will" and "walk" and "workflow" (three clear /w/ sounds) — "through" (/θruː/) — "revised" (final /zd/ voiced cluster, not /st/).
Both teams have finished the third task, so the schedule looks stable. FOCUS: "Both" and "third" (unvoiced /θ/ in both) — "finished" (final /ʃt/) — "schedule" (/ˈʃedʒuːl/, no extra vowel before /s/).
We should choose a smooth process that helps the staff save time. FOCUS: "should" and "choose" (/ʃ/) — "smooth" (voiced /ð/ at the end) — "helps" (final /lps/ cluster) — "staff" (/st/ plus /f/).
Her presentation includes several charts that clearly explain the regional results and targets. FOCUS: "presentation" (stress on third syllable, -TAY-) — "includes" (/z/ sound, not /s/) — "results" (final /ts/) — "charts" (final /ts/ cluster).
Although the client approved the budget, we still need written confirmation from the finance department. FOCUS: "Although" (voiced /ð/) — "approved" (final /vd/) — "confirmation" (stress on third syllable, -MAY-) — "finance" (/ˈfaɪnæns/).
Whether the weather affects our travel plans or not, the workshop will proceed as scheduled. FOCUS: "Whether" and "weather" (/w/ plus voiced /ð/) — "workshop" (/w/) — "scheduled" (final /d/ cluster, not /ɪd/).
The technician checked the thick cable twice and replaced the faulty switch immediately. FOCUS: "technician" (stress on second syllable, -NISH-) — "thick" (unvoiced /θ/) — "twice" (initial /tw/) — "immediately" (stress on second syllable, -MEE-).
Our regional heads will evaluate the proposal and share their thoughts by Friday evening. FOCUS: "evaluate" (stress on second syllable, -VAL-) — "thoughts" (final /θs/ cluster) — "their" (voiced /ð/) — "proposal" (clean /z/ sound).
She has already submitted the revised version, so the team can begin testing tomorrow. FOCUS: "already" (stress on second syllable, -RED-) — "submitted" (three syllables, not two) — "revised" and "version" (clear /v/) — "version" (final /ʒən/).
The suppliers will provide invoices that show the total value of every transaction this quarter. FOCUS: "suppliers" and "invoices" (/z/ sounds, not /s/) — "provide" and "value" (strong /v/) — "transaction" (stress on second syllable, -ZAK-).
Please verify whether the three new machines have been installed and whether they are working. FOCUS: "verify" (/v/ at the start, second syllable stress) — "whether" and "three" (/w/ versus /θ/) — "machines" (final /z/) — "installed" (final /ld/ cluster).
The third quarterly review, which the finance committee scheduled without notice, revealed several unexpected variances in spending. FOCUS: "third" (/θ/ plus /rd/ cluster) — "scheduled" (initial /ʃ/, final /d/) — "revealed" (final /vd/) — "variances" (stress on second syllable, -VAR-).
Our distribution division will withdraw the outdated stock and redistribute it through three regional warehouses. FOCUS: "distribution" and "redistribute" (stress on the third syllable, -BU-) — "withdraw" (/w/ then /θ/ then /dr/, a hard cluster) — "three" (/θr/) — "warehouses" (final /z/).
Although the vendors withdrew their initial proposals, the procurement team thoroughly investigated three alternative suppliers last Thursday. FOCUS: "withdrew" (/w/ + /θ/ + /dr/) — "thoroughly" (/θ/, stress on the first syllable, THUR-) — "procurement" (stress on the second syllable, -CURE-) — "investigated" (four syllables, stress on -VES-).
The developers acknowledged that the authentication service failed intermittently whenever thousands of simultaneous requests arrived. FOCUS: "acknowledged" (the ackn- is /æk-n/, final /jd/) — "authentication" (/θ/ in the middle, stress on -CA-) — "intermittently" (five syllables, stress on -MIT-) — "simultaneous" (stress on -TA-).
She emphasised that the twelfth month's statistics clearly contradicted the assumptions on which the forecast depended. FOCUS: "twelfth" (/lfθ/ — the hardest cluster in English; slow down) — "month's" (/nθs/) — "statistics" (stress on -TIS-) — "contradicted" (stress on -DIC-).
The consultants recommended that we strengthen the existing infrastructure before attempting the sixth phase of the migration. FOCUS: "strengthen" (/str/ then /ŋθ/) — "infrastructure" (four syllables, stress on IN-) — "sixth" (/ksθ/ — do not drop the final /θ/) — "migration" (stress on -GRA-).

Self-scoring rubric

Score each attempt out of 10. Pass = 8. Re-record anything below 8 before moving on.

Criterion	Points	You lose a point if…
Started promptly	2	You hesitated more than ~1 second, or made a false start
All words present	2	You skipped, added or substituted a word
Endings finished	2	A final consonant or plural/past ending was swallowed
Pace steady	2	You sped up, slowed down, or paused mid-phrase
Focus sounds correct	2	A FOCUS word from the drill was mispronounced

How to run this section

10 sentences per sitting, recorded, scored. Not 20 — quality collapses.
Anything scoring below 8 goes on a repeat list and is re-recorded the next day.
Three consecutive sittings averaging 8+ means this section is done. Move on.