LoginHow to Pronounce the /ə/ Sound
Explore the /ə/ sound, also known as the schwa. Understand its role in pronunciation and its common occurrence in unstressed syllables.
In this lesson, we are going to learn how the sound /ə/ is produced by looking at the articulatory organs.
What Type of Sound Is /ə/?
/ə/ is similar to /ɜ/ but it is always shorter. It is the most common vowel sound in English in a way that words with more than two syllables have at least one schwa.
How to Produce /ə/?
Mouth Configuration for /ə/
To pronounce it, as in picture open your mouth very slightly, relax your lips as you think about something and say ‘ehhh’.
Which Letters are Pronounced as /ə/?
The sound /ə/ is represented by the following letters:
Pie Chart of the Letters that Make the /ə/ Sound
- e:
oth
lit
syst
- a:
sof
- o:
gall
t
- i:
eas
cous
- u:
circ
- io:
pass
opt
/ə/ Around the World
Take a look at the following table and see if the /ə/ sound exists in your language. Do not worry if it does not; with a little practice you will be able to produce it.
| Existence | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | ✔ | 本 (běn) |
| Spanish | x | - |
| Hindi | ✔ | कल |
| Bengali | x | - |
| Portuguese | x | - |
| Russian | ✔ | ко́жа |
| Japanese | x | - |
| Vietnamese | ✔ | ân |
| Turkish | x | - |
| French | ✔ | reposer |
| German | ✔ | Name |
| Italian | x | - |
| Persian | x | - |
| Standard Arabic | x | - |
| Korean | ✔ | 어른 |
| Indonesian | ✔ | gelak |
| Filipino | x | - |
| Hungarian | x | - |
| Dutch | ✔ | de |
| Polish | x | - |
| Romanian | ✔ | română |
| Swedish | x | - |
| Czech | x | - |
| Greek | x | - |
| Ukrainian | x | - |
| Urdu | ✔ | کَل |
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