Frequently Asked Questions

What is RankedSpeak?

RankedSpeak is a competitive speech training game. You get a prompt, speak for 30 to 90 seconds, and an AI judge scores you across five dimensions: clarity, flow, structure, substance, and delivery. You're matched against other speakers in async duels, and your Elo rating moves based on the result. Think of it as ranked mode for public speaking.

How does the AI scoring work?

The AI evaluates your speech across five dimensions. Clarity measures how easy you are to understand, penalizing filler words and mumbling. Flow measures your pacing, pauses, and vocal smoothness. Structure evaluates whether your response has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Substance scores the quality and relevance of your actual points. Delivery listens to the audio itself: tone, pacing and vocal confidence. You get an overall score out of 10 plus a score for each dimension, and a written coach report you read. In ranked duels, the AI judges both recordings to pick the winner.

What is the Elo rating system?

The Elo system is borrowed from chess. Every player has a numeric rating that goes up when they win and down when they lose. The amount it moves depends on the expected outcome: beating a higher-rated speaker gives you more points than beating a lower-rated one. RankedSpeak has 6 rank tiers, from Bronze to Master, so you always have a clear goal to chase.

How long is each practice round?

Each round is 30 to 90 seconds, depending on the prompt. You get a prompt, think for a few seconds, then record your response. The short format is intentional: it removes the barrier to practice. You can fit a round into any gap in your day, which makes it easy to build a daily speaking habit.

Do I need a partner to practice?

No. All duels are asynchronous. You record your response to a prompt, and you're matched against another speaker who responded to the same prompt at a different time. There's no scheduling, no waiting rooms, and no need to coordinate with anyone. You practice whenever you want.

Is RankedSpeak free?

RankedSpeak is free to download. You get a free daily prompt you can record and score, plus a full coach report on your very first speech, with no account needed to try it. Beyond that, unlimited practice and every full coach report are part of RankedSpeak Pro, an auto-renewing subscription. You can also buy one-time unlocks for a single item without subscribing: a full coach report for one recording, or the ability to read an opponent's transcript in a ranked duel. Pro subscribers get those unlocks included. All prices are shown in the App Store and may vary by region.

Is RankedSpeak available now?

Yes. RankedSpeak is available now on the App Store for iPhone. Download it to answer your first prompt, get scored on five speaking skills, and see the one fix to work on next.

What makes RankedSpeak different from other speech apps?

Competition. Most speech apps are solo tools: you record yourself, get some feedback, and that's it. There's no reason to come back tomorrow. RankedSpeak adds a competitive layer with Elo rankings, async duels, and leaderboards. The same mechanics that keep people playing ranked modes in games for thousands of hours now work for speech improvement.

Can I use RankedSpeak for presentation prep?

Yes. While RankedSpeak is optimized for impromptu speaking, the skills transfer directly to presentations. Clarity, structure, flow, and substance are the same dimensions that make presentations effective. Many users practice daily with RankedSpeak to build general speaking skill, then apply those skills to specific presentations.

Can RankedSpeak help me practice STAR interview answers?

Yes. The interview prep section has 60 job interview questions. For behavioral questions ("Tell me about a time..."), the report splits your answer into Situation, Task, Action and Result and grades each part as strong, okay, weak or missing. Facts you left out show as blanks in brackets for you to fill in, and the coach never invents a result for you. Without Pro you see the grades; Pro adds the full STAR coaching, including how an interviewer would hear you, the follow-up questions to expect and your answer rebuilt.

What types of speaking prompts are there?

RankedSpeak offers prompts across multiple categories: impromptu (think on your feet), debate (defend a position), storytelling (craft a narrative), and persuasion (convince the listener). Ranked duels draw from the whole prompt pool, so the prompts you get do not depend on your Elo rating.

Is there a web or Android version of RankedSpeak?

No. RankedSpeak is an iPhone and iPad app on the App Store, and it needs iOS 18.2 or later. rankedspeak.com is an information site: you can't record a speech or get scored in a browser. There is no Android app on Google Play.

Does RankedSpeak watch me on camera or rate my body language?

No. RankedSpeak records audio only, through your phone's microphone. The camera is never on while you speak. It does not judge eye contact, facial expressions, gestures or posture. Your scores come from what you said and how it sounded.

Does an AI voice talk back to me or coach me while I speak?

No. Nothing in RankedSpeak speaks to you. There is no AI conversation partner, no roleplay and no live correction while you talk. You record your answer, then a few seconds later you read a score and a written coach report. Pro gives you more reports and modes, not a talking coach.

Are ranked duels live, and do other players vote on the winner?

No. Duels are asynchronous: your recording is matched with another player's recording of the same prompt, made at a different time, so there is no video call, lobby or live audience. The AI judges both recordings and picks the winner; there is no community voting. Your opponent never hears your audio. They can read your duel transcript only with a one-time unlock or Pro.

Can I rehearse a full presentation or upload a recording?

No. Rounds are short: 30 to 90 seconds for most prompts, and two minutes at most. You record inside the app, so you can't upload an existing audio or video file, attach slides, or time a 20-minute talk. RankedSpeak trains short, unscripted answers. For a full run-through of a deck, use a rehearsal tool alongside it.

Is my RankedSpeak score an official measure of speaking ability?

No. Scores and Elo ranks are AI feedback to guide your practice. They are not a certificate or a professional assessment, the AI can get things wrong, and a high rank does not guarantee how a real talk in front of real people will go.