The best ways to practise English speaking for interviews in India (2026), compared
21 October 2026 · 7 min read
In this guide
The short answer: use one free option for daily volume and one option with a real listener for feedback. For volume, record yourself or use an AI tool, such as ChatGPT’s voice mode or a free speaking score. For feedback, use a 1:1 tutor, a mock interview, or a live practice group. Speaking to a real person is the step that most changes how you do on the day, because it’s the only practice that recreates the pressure.
A note before the list: we run SpeakingLab, a live small-group practice programme, so we are not neutral. We have tried to be fair, and we say plainly where something else is a better fit than us. Check current prices on each provider’s site; they change often.
The options at a glance
| Option | Cost | Real listener? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording yourself on your phone | Free | No | Daily volume, hearing your own fillers |
| AI voice assistant (e.g. ChatGPT voice mode) as a mock interviewer | Free or low cost | No | Unlimited practice questions and follow-ups |
| AI speaking-score tools (e.g. SpeakingLab’s free score, Yoodli) | Free tiers | No | Quick, measurable feedback on pace, fillers and structure |
| Pronunciation apps (e.g. ELSA Speak) | Paid, free trial | No | Specific sounds and word stress |
| 1:1 tutors (e.g. Cambly, italki, Preply) | Paid, per session | Yes | Conversation practice at your own level |
| 1:1 practice calls (e.g. EngVarta) | Paid, per session | Yes | Daily spoken practice with a coach |
| Mock interview platforms (e.g. InterviewBuddy) | Paid | Yes | A realistic interview with an industry interviewer |
| Speaking clubs (e.g. Toastmasters) | Low membership fee | Yes | Long-term public speaking, prepared speeches |
| Live small-group practice (e.g. SpeakingLab) | Free taster, then paid cohort | Yes, a group | Speaking under pressure in front of people, scored before and after |
1. Record yourself (free)
The most underrated tool. Answer a question with a 60-second timer, record it on your phone, listen back. You will hear things nobody needs to tell you: the fillers, the slow start, the point that arrives at the end.
Good for: everyone, every day. Limit: no outside feedback, and no pressure, so it won’t prepare you for freezing in front of a person.
2. AI voice assistants as a mock interviewer
Tools like ChatGPT’s voice mode can play an interviewer: ask them to interview you for a specific role, ask follow-ups, and tell you what was unclear. It’s available any time, and you can repeat a question as often as you like.
Good for: volume, and getting used to unexpected questions. Limit: it’s patient in a way real interviewers aren’t, and its feedback can be generic.
3. AI speaking-score tools
These listen to a spoken answer and score things like pace, filler words and structure. Yoodli is a well-known AI speech coach. SpeakingLab’s free interview speaking score scores a 60-second answer to a real interview question on structure, clarity, pace and presence, and gives you one fix and a stronger opening line.
Good for: measuring progress, and spotting habits. Limit: a score isn’t a listener. It tells you what to fix, not how it feels to say it to someone.
4. Pronunciation apps
Apps like ELSA Speak focus on individual sounds, word stress and intonation. Useful if a specific sound is making you hard to understand.
Good for: targeted pronunciation work. Limit: most interview problems are about structure and confidence, not pronunciation, so this is rarely the first thing to fix.
5. 1:1 tutors and practice calls
Marketplaces like Cambly, italki and Preply connect you with tutors for conversation practice. Indian services such as EngVarta offer 1:1 spoken practice calls with coaches. You get a real listener, at your own level, at times that suit you.
Good for: steady conversation practice and personal correction. Limit: one patient listener is less pressure than an interview panel, and quality depends on the tutor you pick.
6. Mock interview platforms
Platforms like InterviewBuddy set up mock interviews with industry interviewers, often with written feedback afterwards. This is the closest thing to the real event.
Good for: a final rehearsal before a specific interview. Limit: it tests you more than it trains you. Most useful once you have already practised your answers.
7. Speaking clubs
Toastmasters clubs meet regularly and have members give prepared speeches and short impromptu talks, with evaluation from other members. Some of us ran a Toastmasters club for over two years, and we rate it highly.
Good for: long-term public speaking confidence. Limit: it’s built around speeches rather than interview answers, and progress is slow if your interview is next month.
8. Live small-group practice
This is what we do at SpeakingLab: small groups online, for India and the UAE, where everyone speaks in every session. You rehearse interview answers, introductions, pitches and difficult questions in front of real people, with a host giving feedback out loud. You’re scored on six skills (Structure, Clarity, Pace and Pauses, Listening, Presence, Handling Pushback) at the start and the end, so you can see whether it worked. The first session, the Open Mic, is free.
Good for: people who know what to say but freeze when someone is watching. Not for: complete beginners in English (a 1:1 tutor is a better start), or anyone who only wants grammar or exam preparation, like IELTS.
What we would do, by situation
- Interview in a week, no budget: record yourself daily, use an AI voice assistant for follow-ups, and use a free speaking score to check your top five answers.
- Interview in a month: add a real listener. A live group or a few 1:1 sessions, then one mock interview in the final week.
- Fresher, placement season: practise your self-introduction and group discussions with other students. Group practice suits placements because GDs are group events too.
- Beginner in English: start with a 1:1 tutor at your level, then move to group practice when you can hold a conversation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to practise English speaking for interviews?
There isn’t one best app for everyone. For free daily practice, recording yourself, an AI voice assistant like ChatGPT’s voice mode, or a free AI speaking score works well. For feedback from real people, use a 1:1 tutor, a mock interview platform, or a live practice group such as SpeakingLab. Most people do best combining one free tool for volume with one option that has a real listener.
Is AI enough to prepare for an English interview?
AI tools are excellent for volume and for spotting habits like filler words and slow starts. They don’t recreate the pressure of a person watching you, which is often what causes people to freeze. Add at least a few sessions with a real listener before the interview.
How can I practise English speaking with real people online in India?
Options include 1:1 tutors (Cambly, italki, Preply), 1:1 practice-call services (such as EngVarta), mock interview platforms (such as InterviewBuddy), Toastmasters clubs, and live small-group programmes such as SpeakingLab, which runs a free online Open Mic session for India and the UAE.
Is there a free English speaking test for interviews?
SpeakingLab’s free interview speaking score lets you answer a real interview question out loud for 60 seconds in your browser and get a score on structure, clarity, pace and presence, with one specific fix. No download is needed.
Group practice or 1:1 coaching for interviews?
1:1 coaching gives more personal correction and suits beginners. Group practice adds the pressure of an audience, which is closer to an interview panel or a group discussion, and suits people who already speak English but freeze under pressure.