Audio won't play or cuts out
Updated 7 October 2026
Check the media volume and audio output, retry playback, then work through the browser and connection checks. Send the lesson details to support if sound still does not play.
Start with the media volume and check where your device is sending the sound. Try Play again, then work through the checks below. Before reloading, copy any unfinished answer you want to keep. If audio still does not play, tell support which lesson and device you are using.
Fix a lesson with no sound
- Volume and silent mode. On an iPhone the ringer switch doesn't matter, but the media volume does: press the volume-up button while the clip plays. On Android, check the media slider, not the ringtone one.
- Bluetooth. If earbuds or a car are still connected, the sound is going there. Turn Bluetooth off or reconnect the earbuds.
- Press Play again. If playback was interrupted or the player asks you to retry, press Play again. If the same error returns, continue with the checks below.
- Reload the page. Copy any unfinished answer you want to keep, then reload and try the clip again. Saved progress and answer drafts can depend on your browser and sign-in state; check what is restored before continuing.
- Try another accent. Use Accent for this clip inside the player, if the clip has more than one recording.
- Try another browser. Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge all play our clips; a browser extension that blocks media can stop them.
When the audio cuts out partway
- Background tabs. Phones pause audio in tabs you've switched away from. Come back to the tab and press Play.
- Low-power mode. It can stop audio a few seconds in. Turn it off while you practise.
- A weak connection. Clips are small, but on a patchy signal they stall. Download lessons for the train with Practising offline.
If the recording is unavailable
A clip may be unavailable on our side. If the player says the audio is still being prepared, use the transcript where it is available and try again later.
Write to us
If none of this works, tell us the lesson name, the accent you chose and your phone or browser from the contact page with "A lesson or its audio seems wrong" selected: Contact us about audio. A person will look at that clip.
