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Vera
Verbal Flashcards

Fifteen seconds to prepare, forty-five to answer.

Templates and timing drilled until the clock stops mattering.

TOEFL speaking is a timing exercise disguised as a language test.

What Vera actually is

A phone call with someone who is not there. You say the thing out loud, they answer the way a real person would, and you get to do it again — as many times as it takes, with nobody listening.

1She calls youA real phone call, about ten seconds after you tap. Lock screen, headphones, car — wherever you take calls.
2She plays the other personNot a coach reading tips. TOEFL Speaking Practice, with someone on the other end who answers back.
3She pushes when you are vagueFollow-up questions, interruptions when you ramble, and a straight read at the end on what landed.
Practice TOEFL Speaking

15 minutes free · no card needed

Practice TOEFL Speaking

15 minutes free · no card needed

“What if I am bad at it?”Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.
“What if I do not know what to say?”She asks first and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.
“What if it is awkward?”It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Not practising doesn’t save you anything.

The ticket, the evening, the weeks of applying — all of it is spent before anyone says a word. The practice is the only cheap part, and the only part that changes how the rest goes.

Practice TOEFL Speaking

15 minutes free · no card needed

What she'll actually ask

She asks these the way a real person would, then follows up on whatever you say.

  1. Fifteen seconds to prepare. Go.
  2. You used twenty seconds on your introduction. Try again.
  3. Summarize what you just heard in forty-five seconds.
  4. State your opinion and give two reasons. Time starts now.
  5. You stopped early. What was your third point going to be?
More about this one

TOEFL speaking gives you almost no preparation time, which makes it as much a timing exercise as a language one. Candidates who freeze in the first five seconds lose most of the response regardless of their English. The fix is a reusable structure practiced enough that it deploys automatically. Vera runs timed tasks and tells you where in the response you lost time.

What she listens for

Opening speedHesitation in the first five seconds costs a disproportionate share of the response.
Structure deploymentWhether your template comes out automatically or has to be assembled.
FinishingTrailing off unfinished scores worse than a slightly rushed conclusion.
  • TOEFL speaking
  • independent task
  • integrated task
  • response templates
  • timing practice
  • preparation time
  • TOEFL iBT
  • score rubric
“My English was fine. My first eight seconds were dead air, every single time, and that was the whole score gap.”
Lucia F.

Related practice

IELTS Speaking PracticeAll three parts practiced in the format, on an actual call.GRE Vocabulary DrillingHigh-frequency GRE words drilled aloud with usage.DELE Oral Exam PracticeStructured Spanish speaking practice in the exam format.JLPT Vocabulary & Kanji DrillingKanji readings and vocabulary drilled aloud by level.

Common questions

Are templates a good idea?

For TOEFL specifically, yes — the timing is tight enough that a reusable structure is worth more than variety.

Can it do integrated tasks?

It can read a short passage aloud and have you summarize, which approximates the format.

How many practice runs?

Enough that the structure is automatic — usually eight to ten tasks across a few sessions.

What if I am bad at it?

Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.

What if I do not know what to say?

She asks the first question and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.

What if it is awkward?

It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Ready to try it?

Your first 15 minutes are free. No card required.

Practice TOEFL Speaking