[ə]: The De-Stressed Schwa Vowel Sound | Part 2
[ə]: The De-Stressed Schwa Vowel Sound | Part 2
English Pronunciation Lesson
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]
De-stressed Words
Native English speakers de-stress several function words so much so that we say them with or as a schwa, a quick [ə].
This is done, because one of the goals of the English speaker is to speak with efficiency — to say the most we can, in the shortest amount of time.
So, why bother saying a word so clearly when it doesn’t even carry meaning?
The listener doesn’t really need to hear function words — such as prepositions and conjunctions — the way they need to hear content words that carry meaning in sentences (think, verbs, nouns, etc.).
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.
Example
Native English speakers don’t clearly say
• “date of birth”
…and why should we? The listener already knows that the middle function word is “of”, and “of” carries no meaning — it’s just there for grammar. So we de-stress it, and:
• “of” [ʌv] → [ə]
• “date of” → *”data” [DEY də]
• “date_of_birth” → [DEY də BɝRθ]
Note that because:
Americans 🇺🇸 do not push out a lot of air on the /t/ in the middle of their words, “data” is said with a [d]: [DEY də]. Whereas:
British English 🇬🇧 speakers are more likely to aspirate that /t/ and say it as a [t]: “data” [DEY tə].
Let’s practice more function words that are de-stressed all the way down to a schwa [ə].
Listen and Repeat
a
“a” → [ə]
“What a joke!”
and
“and” → [ən]
“I’ll have some bacon and eggs please.”
of
“of” → [əv] or [ə]
“I cook at home most of the time.”
the
“the” → [ðə]
“What the heck is going on here?”
or
“or” → [ər]
“I like the shirt in either black or white.”
him
“him” → [əm] (Also see the lesson on h-deletion for more information on saying the “h” pronouns.)
“Go get him a drink.”
can
“can” → [kən] (Also see the lesson on “can” vs. “can’t” for more explanation and practice.)
“Can you believe it? He passed the test!”
do
“do” → [də]
“What do you do for a living?”
you
you” → [yə]
“See you later!”
“See ya!”
to
“to” → [tə]
“Let’s go to the store today.”
Remember, you don’t always have to speak this way in order to be understood. But you should know that native English speakers de-stress some function words all the way down to a schwa — an [ə] — so that you can better understand them.
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