/ə/ Schwa

The Most Common Sound in English: 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.

For example, listen and repeat each example:

alone (əˈloʊn)
enemy (ˈenəmi)
helpful (ˈhɛlp fəl)

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!

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

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