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PRONUNCIATION: The sound /Ə/

Listen to the pronunciation of the words in the box.

Teacher  -  ruler  -  computer  -  sharpener  -  highlighter  -  stapler  -  eraser


Ana Losada e José Luis Murado. CC BY-SA

Exercise 1

The Schwa

Ana Losada e José Luis Murado. CC BY-SA

The ending –er is NOT stressed and is pronounced in a very particular way; what you have heard is the most common sound in English: /Ə/, also known as “the schwa”. Listen to the recording below and find out why /Ə/ is so common and how it is pronounced. Choose the right answer.

Ana Losada e José Luis Murado. CC BY-SA

Hello! Today, I’m going to tell you about the most sound in English; the schwa, /Ə/. To pronounce it, here’s what you need to do:

  1. your face and open your mouth
  2. Imagine someone pushes you gently on the
  3. Make the sound as and as   as you can

Let’s try, listen and repeat: /Ə/, / Ə/, / Ə/, for example: teacher or bottle. Now, why is this sound so in English? There is a main reason: The schwa is pronounced in parts of a word, take the example of computer; -pu- has the main stress and the other 2 syllables are pronounced /Ə/, com-pu-ter, see?

Hope you find this explanation useful! Bye!!

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The sound /Ə/

Listen and underline the /Ə/ sound and syllable in the words below. Practise saying the words aloud.

Ana Losada e José Luis Murado. CC BY-SA

Pronouncing /Ə/

Ana Losada e José Luis Murado. CC BY-SA