Give example of schwa sound.
8 answers from our tutors
Best answer
The schwa sound is the most common vowel sound and the only speech sound with its own special name. Examples of a schwa: balloon, family and problem.
/American/, i don't have the keyboard to phonetize the word, but the word has three schwa sounds schwa has always been tricky for me, since it has a blending characteristic, but i found a name for it that made it easy for me to detect it. i call it, the Obstacle, since it doen't break the flow of the word, just gives it a little bump.
Analysis and family..since it's an unstressed vowel.
Check your English level for free
Take our quick and free test to find out your current level of English
Start test
- MulaloEnglish Teacher Mulalo. fun and Educational . TEFL qualified Teacher .
The schwa sound is the most common vowel sound (and the only speech sound with its own special name). Examples of a schwa: a: balloon. e: problem.
Schwa sound is a short, central vowel heard in the first syllable of the words oppose and perhaps.
- DaniloTeaching English linguistics
I can't edit my posts so a small clarification to what I said before about other vowels "TYPICALLY" being reduced to the schwa sound. It would be more accurate to say that in some prominent cases in English other vowel sounds are normally or obligatorily reduced to schwa.
- DaniloTeaching English linguistics
The initial sound in words starting with the letter "a" will typically be pronounced as schwa. There is a number of prepositions starting with this sound: around, about, against.. , as well as verbs: apply, arrange, affect.. and nouns: arrangement, association, adjustment etc. Schwa is never stressed in these words or any other words in English. (In these the stress is always on the following syllable)
- DaniloTeaching English linguistics
The schwa sound is the single most versatile vowel sound in English. Other vowel sounds are typically reduced to this sound. The general importance of this sound in English is that it provides a smooth and subtle transition between consonant sounds. Also important to notice is that other vowel sounds are very often reduced to the "schwa" sound, which is most apparently seen in the so-called "weak forms" of auxiliaries and prepositions. So, the vowel sounds in the auxiliaries like "have", "would", "could" etc. are in normal speech reduced to schwa. So, "would" will typically be pronounced as (wəd) rather than (wud) , have is (həv) rather than (hev) etc. The same applies to prepositions, so the weak form of "to" is (tə), the weak form of "for" is (fər) etc. If the vowel sound is further away from the stressed syllable it'll always be reduced to "schwa" (e.g the supposed "o" sound in Washington will be reduced to schwa (wa:ʃiŋtən))
Other student questions
- Imagine giving a presentation in English and having everyone applaud—how amazing would that be?
Best answer
It is snowing right now.
