[ə]: The De-Stressed Schwa Vowel Sound | Part 1
[ə]: De-Stressed Schwa Vowel Sound | Part 1
English Pronunciation Lesson
Introduction
Speaking English with the correct music doesn’t just require stressing syllables and words. An important part of rhythm in English is de-stressing certain syllables and words.
De-stressing
De-stressing means that some sounds are said:
• quicker; and
• more relaxed
than other sounds.
The most de-stressed sound in English is a quick [ə]. This sound is called a “schwa”, and it’s kind of the ugliest sound in English.
• [ə]
But it’s an important part of the shortening and lengthening that creates the music of English.
Example
We would never say the following word giving equal stress to each syllable:
but we stress the 2nd syllable, and de-stress the 1st and 3rd syllables all the way to a quick schwa sound [ə].
“photography”
» Note: the 4th syllable is a medium, secondary stress)
“photography”
Do you hear how different that sounds when we de-stress those two syllables into schwas?
Practice the de-stressed schwa sound [ə] in English with the following words.
Remember that the schwa [ə] is said:
• quickly and
• very relaxed.
[ə]
Listen and Repeat
“economy” [ə KAWN nə miy]
“politics” [PAL lə tɪks]
“investigate” [ɪn VɛST tə geyt]
“discovery” [də SKʌV vɚr riy]
“paragraph” [PÆR rə græf]
“apparent” [ə PÆR rɪnt]
Remember, shortening certain syllables in English is just as important as lengthening and stressing when it comes to speaking with the correct rhythm of English.
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