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Vowel

Schwa

The schwa is the most common vowel sound in English. It is a very short, relaxed, neutral vowel sound that *only* appears in unstressed syllables. Think of it as a lazy "uh" or "ih" sound.

ə
Phonetic System (Merriam-Webster):ə

Watch the Sound

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Example Words

Main Example

about
Phonetic: ə-ˈbau̇t

Common Words

aboutə-ˈbau̇t
sofaˈsō-fə
takenˈtā-kən
pencilˈpen(t)-səl
supplysə-ˈplī
bananabə-ˈna-nə
memoryˈmem-(ə-)rē
problemˈprä-bləm
familyˈfam-(ə-)lē
supportsə-ˈpȯrt

Minimal Pairs

Listen and compare similar sounds

ə
address (noun)
ˈa-ˌdres
Compare with
A
address (verb)
ə-ˈres
ə
sofa
ˈsō-fə
Compare with
S
so far
ˈsō ˈfär
ə
about
ə-ˈbau̇t
Compare with
A
a boat
ə ˈbōt
ə
comma
ˈkä-mə
Compare with
C
calmer
ˈkä-mər

Tongue Twister

Amanda and Anna analyzed an amazing panorama above the veranda.

Try it yourself

Practice saying this tongue twister

Technical Details

  • CategoryVowel
  • VoicingVoiced
  • Place of ArticulationCentral (Mid)
  • Manner of ArticulationVowel
  • Mouth PositionVery neutral and relaxed. The lips are not rounded or spread. The jaw is only slightly open. The tongue rests in the middle-center of the mouth, not tense, not high/low/front/back. It requires minimal effort.