The English "schwa" sound (IPA ə) — Pronunciation Guide
IPA Sound Drill
Home
›
Sounds
›
ə
ə
schwa
Vowel
Listen
How to make this sound
Example
about /əˈbaʊt/
Mouth
Central, weak, relaxed vowel
Common trap
Ignore spelling — keep it vague and unstressed
GA vs RP
GA and RP share this sound.
See 20 common English words with this sound →
Related sounds
i
long ee (see)
ɪ
short i (sit)
ɛ
eh (bed)
æ
a~eh (cat)
ʌ
uh (cup)
ɑ
ah (hot/father)