The "schwa" sound is the most commonly used vowel sound in English, especially in the American version. Did you ever wonder why so many English words sound so different from the way they are spelled? Did you ever hear a word like "the" pronounced in two different ways and tried to understand if there was a rule to use it one way or another?
So what's a "schwa," you say? It's written like this: "ǝ" and it's pronounced like the "u" in "luck." What is surprising about schwa to new English learners is that any vowel can have this sound.
Yes, you read that correctly: ANY vowel in English can have the sound of schwa!
Any vowel: a, e, i, o, and u can sound exactly the same in an English word. So, when does this happen and why?
It's probably because we English speakers want to communicate as easily as possible. We often make the easiest sound we can make when we speak. That is why we use so many contractions. It is easier to use less letters, and less words to say something.
The schwa is the easiest vowel sound to make. You only need to open your mouth a little and make a sound from your throat. It doesn't matter much what shape your mouth is in, and your tongue isn't used at all. Try it: just open your mouth a little, relax your tongue, and use your voice. That's it! Easy, right?
OK, so that's the "why," and the "how;" what about the "when?" When is it correct to use the schwa sound, and are there rules for it?
The most common use of schwa is the vowel sound in unstressed syllables. Like the last syllable of "information" the "io" is pronounced with a schwa sound. This doesn't mean that all vowels in unstressed syllables have the schwa sound, but many do. Also, the only time a stressed syllable uses a schwa sound is when the vowel is "u", like in "buckle".
Schwa is usually spoken very quickly and rather softly; it is never held for very long and seldom spoken loudly. The articles "a," "an," and "the," are usually spoken with a schwa sound. The exception is when one wants to emphasize something.
Some excellent places to learn more and to hear examples are here:
It isn't pronounced like the 'u' in luck at all!! Luck and Cup use the same sound which is not like the schwa. The schwa is like the 'er' in mother.
ReplyDeleteActually, in American English, the schwa IS like the 'short' u sound, but very, very short, and never accented. In British English, however, the 'er' sound is the sound of the unaccented schwa.
DeleteThe schwa is never stressed, even in 'buckle' which uses the /ʌ/ sound for the 'u'. This is not the same as the schwa, and neither is the /ʊ/ sound in 'book'. Look here for the (British English) phonemic chart:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.phonemicchart.com/
We are, respectfully, mainly concerned here with American phonemics, wherein, even as you point out, the 'u' in buckle is not the schwa; however, there's a schwa in the 'le' ending, as: /ǝl/. The sound of the 'u' in buckle, is, in any case, almost identical to the schwa sound in American English, wouldn't you agree?
Delete