LoginHow to Pronounce the /ə/ Sound
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/?
To pronounce it, as in the 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:
e:
other /ˈʌð.ɚ/
literally /ˈlɪt̬.ɚ.əl.i/
system /ˈsɪs.təm/
a:
alone /əˈloʊn/
sofa /ˈsoʊ.fə/
o:
gallop /ˈɡæl.əp/
today /təˈdeɪ/
i:
easily /ˈiː.zəl.i/
cousin /ˈkʌz.ən/
u:
circus /ˈsɝː.kəs/
upon /əˈpɑːn/
io:
passion /ˈpæʃən/
option /ˈɑpʃən/
/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 |
Listening
Let's listen to the pronunciation of the /ə/ sound which has been mentioned below:
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