Practice makes perfect means that you get good at something by doing it regularly. People use the proverb to encourage someone who is still struggling and to remind them that regular training pays off. It sounds natural in conversation and IELTS Speaking, but in an IELTS essay a ready-made proverb looks like a cliché, so put the idea in your own words.
When would you say practice makes perfect?
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Practice makes perfect.; clause, but practice makes perfect; as they say, practice makes perfect
- My first presentations at work were awful, but practice makes perfect, and now I enjoy them.
- Write a few sentences in English every day; as they say, practice makes perfect.
- My homemade bread was terrible at first, but practice makes perfect.
What changed
First versionMy pronunciation is still weak, but practise makes perfect.
RevisionMy pronunciation is still weak, but practice makes perfect.
In British English, practice with a c is the noun and practise with an s is the verb: I practise every day. The proverb is about practice as the thing that brings results, so it needs the c. In American English both words are spelled practice. Only one letter has changed.
Nobody's perfect is said to comfort someone after a mistake: making mistakes is normal. Practice makes perfect looks forward: keep going, and you will get there. Compare: Nobody's perfect; everyone forgets words sometimes. Keep speaking; practice makes perfect.
Your turn
You won't learn the guitar just by watching videos. Play a little every day: ___.
Show the answer
practice makes perfect — The advice to play a little every day is about regular practice, so practice makes perfect fits. Better late than never is said when something happens late, and nothing here is late.
Write about a skill that was hard for you at first. Name the skill, say how often you practised, and finish with practice makes perfect.
Touch typing was hard for me at first, but I practised for twenty minutes every evening. Practice makes perfect.
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