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/ə/ Schwa

Master the most common sound in English! Learn to recognize and produce the neutral vowel that appears in unstressed syllables.

🌟 The Most Common Sound in English

/ə/

Click the symbol to hear the schwa sound!

What is the Schwa?
The IPA symbol for the schwa is /ə/. The /ə/ sound is important to understand because it is so common in English.

Schwa /ə/ occurs in unstressed syllables of words with two or more syllables.
🎯 Schwa /ə/ does not represent a particular vowel. It exists where a syllable - with any written vowel (a, e, i, o, u) - is unstressed. This is why it is the most common vowel sound!
💡 Pro Tip

To practice /ə/, make a short, quick sound while your mouth is relaxed.

🔄 Stressed vs Unstressed

Listen to how vowels change when they become unstressed!
Stressed Syllables

Clear, distinct vowel sounds

a-LONE
/ə'loʊn/
Unstressed Syllables

Reduced to schwa /ə/

ə-LONE
/ə'loʊn/

📚 Common Schwa Examples

Listen and repeat each example. Notice the relaxed, quick schwa sound!
alone
/ə'loʊn/
enemy
/'enəmi/
helpful
/'helpfəl/
about
/ə'baʊt/
banana
/bə'nænə/
computer
/kəm'pjutər/
⚠️ Common Confusion

Learners might confuse /ə/ with a distinct vowel sound, such as /æ/ for the letter a.

Remember: In unstressed syllables, vowels become neutral and relaxed - they all sound like /ə/!

🎯 Practice Words

Words with Initial Schwa
about
across
around
again
alive
afraid
Words with Middle Schwa
banana
photography
comfortable
family
dictionary
elephant
Words with Final Schwa
sofa
data
camera
pizza
extra
teacher

🎧 Sentence Practice

Listen to these sentences and notice how many schwa sounds you can identify!
Listen and Count the Schwas
  • The camera is about photography
  • My family eats banana and pizza
  • The elephant is comfortable around people
  • About seven elephants appeared suddenly

📊 Your Progress

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🎧 Schwa Recognition Challenge

Listen carefully and count how many schwa sounds you hear!
Click "Play" to hear a word