Key terms in plain English

• Alphanumeric: a mix of letters and numbers, for example A7B9.
• Postcode: a postal code pattern that identifies an area, for example SW1A 1AA or 1212.
• Case sensitivity: whether upper or lower case matters. In IELTS, upper case is safe for codes.
• Separator: space or hyphen inside a code, for example SW1A⎵1AA or 02115-1234.
• Check phrase: A as in Alpha, B as in Bravo used to disambiguate letters over the phone.

Why this matters for Band 7

Address and code items in Listening are high-value. One missed space or swapped letter can turn a correct answer into a zero. Strong habits for spacing, case, and letter–number discrimination raise your accuracy without extra study time.

Common postcode patterns you will hear

Bangladesh (BD)

• Four digits only, no letters. Example: 1212, 1207. No internal spaces.
  United Kingdom (UK)
• Alphanumeric with a required internal space. Examples: SW1A 1AA, B15 2TT. Write a space before the last three characters. Upper case preferred.
  United States (US)
• Five digits. Optional ZIP+4 adds a hyphen plus four digits: 02115 or 02115-1234.
  Canada (CA)
• Alternating letter–number–letter space number–letter–number. Example: K1A 0B1. Space is required; use upper case.
  Australia (AU) and NZ
• Four digits. No letters, no internal spaces.
  EU examples
• Many are numeric (e.g., 10115 in Germany). Always copy the format you hear or see on the form.

Rule of thumb
If the form shows a pattern, copy it. If the audio spells a pattern, copy it. If neither shows style, use upper case and include the standard space or hyphen for that country.

Hearing and writing protocol in four moves

1. Frame the slot: glance at the label. If it says “Postcode” or “ZIP”, expect a specific pattern.
2. Chunk as you listen: group codes into meaningful blocks, for example SW1A⎵1AA, 02115-1234, K1A⎵0B1.
3. Disambiguate letters and digits mentally: O vs 0, I vs 1, S vs 5, Z vs 2. Use a tiny dot under digits on your rough paper to stop swaps.
4. Transcribe exactly: preserve required spaces and hyphens; use upper case for letters in mixed codes.

High-risk confusables and how to fix them

• O vs 0: Zero often comes with “zero” or “oh” in speech. If you hear “oh”, still write 0 in codes.
• I vs 1: In many voices, “one” is longer. Treat letters as upper case; treat “one” as 1.
• S vs 5: Five is a diphthong; S is hissed. Pair S with a following vowel sound; pair 5 with a clear number rhythm.
• Z vs S: In UK audio, Z is “zed”; in US audio, “zee”.
• St: Before a name it is Saint; after a name it is Street. This affects addresses around codes.

Worked example 1 — UK format with space

Audio: “Postcode is S W 1 A space 1 A A.”
Correct: SW1A 1AA
Why: UK codes require a space before the last three characters and upper case letters. Writing SW1A1AA or sw1a 1aa would be marked wrong.

Extension: If the form field already prints “SW1A ___”, you fill only “1AA” and keep the printed style.

Worked example 2 — BD and US codes on the same form

Audio: “Shipping to Dhaka one two one two; billing ZIP zero two one one five dash one two three four.”
Correct BD: 1212
Correct US: 02115-1234
Why: Bangladesh uses four digits, no spaces. US ZIP+4 needs the hyphen.

Mini case — Tahmid in Dhaka

Problem: Tahmid lost marks by dropping the UK space and writing letters in lower case.
Intervention: He made a two-point rule card: “UK and CA take a space; codes always in caps.” He also underlined digits on scratch paper to prevent O vs 0 swaps.
Result: Over three practice tests, postcode accuracy rose from 60 percent to 95 percent, with zero space errors.

Measurable drills

• 60-second dictation ladders: Write ten codes read by a partner or audio, mixing BD, UK, US, and CA. Score for three things: right characters, case, separators. Target 9 of 10.
• Pattern copy grid: Copy twenty printed codes exactly twice, focusing on spacing and hyphens. Time yourself; aim to cut total time by 20 percent in a week without errors.
• Confusable swap test: Make a 12-card set of O/0, I/1, S/5, Z/2. Have a partner read random sequences; you write them. Track error type and reduce to under 5 percent.

Common mistakes

• Removing the required space in UK and CA codes.
• Adding periods or commas inside codes.
• Lowercasing letters in alphanumeric codes when the source shows caps.
• Writing “oh” instead of 0.
• Inserting an extra space before US ZIP+4 or missing the hyphen.

Edge cases and safe responses

• Leading zeros: Never drop them. 02115 is not 2115.
• Rare UK codes: GIR 0AA exists. Trust the audio and copy exactly.
• Spelled letters: If the speaker uses “B as in Bravo,” you still write B, not the code word.
• Noisy audio: If a segment is unclear and the next word is “space,” leave one space and wait for the final three characters in UK; they will confirm the pattern.

Tips and tricks

• Write codes in big block capitals on your rough sheet, then transfer cleanly.
• Say the chunks in your head as you write: “ess double-you one ay … space … one ay ay.”
• For CA and UK, pre-draw a tiny box where the space goes; it reminds you to leave it.
• When practicing alone, read numbers with deliberate rhythm and letters with steady pitch so your ear learns both streams.

To avoid

• Guessing a separator style. If you did not hear a hyphen, do not add one unless the format demands it.
• Mixing styles across fields, for example using a Canadian space in a US ZIP.
• Letting speed break accuracy. One correct code beats three rushed guesses.

Glossary

Alphanumeric: mixed letters and digits.
Postcode: postal code pattern used for delivery areas.
Separator: space or hyphen that appears inside codes.
Case sensitivity: whether upper or lower case matters for a field.
Check phrase: a word like Alpha or Bravo used to clarify a letter in audio.
Leading zero: a zero at the start of a number that must be kept.

Next steps
Print a one-page drill with 40 mixed codes from BD, UK, US, CA, AU. Do 10 per day for four days. Record percent correct on characters, case, and separators. On day five, repeat the weakest set and raise your lowest metric by 10 percent.

1. Actionable closing — Cheatsheet

Patterns at a glance

• BD: 4 digits → 1212
• UK: letters+digits, space before last 3 → SW1A⎵1AA
• US: 5 digits or ZIP+4 → 02115 or 02115-1234
• CA: L N L⎵N L N → K1A⎵0B1
• AU/NZ: 4 digits → 2000, 6011

Do

• Use UPPER CASE for letters in codes.
• Preserve required spaces and hyphens.
• Chunk as you listen and write.
• Confirm O vs 0, I vs 1, S vs 5, Z vs 2.

Avoid

• Removing UK or CA spaces.
• Lowercasing letters in mixed codes.
• Dropping leading zeros.
• Inventing punctuation.

Quick drill (3 minutes)

1. Copy 10 printed codes exactly.
2. Dictation of 5 mixed codes from a partner or app.
3. Mark any O/0 or space errors and redo those two items.

CTA: Build a 10-code daily ladder for the next week. Log three metrics per run (characters, case, separators) and push your lowest score into the 95 percent zone before your next full practice test.