What is the Schwa /ə/ Sound?
First, let's look at a few examples of words with the English /ə/ sound:
- about
- among
- different
- moment
- never
- boxer
According to Rachel’s English, the Schwa /ə/ sound is made by doing the following:
"This vowel is always unstressed. The mouth position is a lot like the UH as in BUTTER vowel, but that vowel can be and usually is stressed. But just like that vowel, everything in your lips, jaw, and neck should be relaxed for this sound. Just slightly drop your jaw to make this sound. The trick is to keep everything else relaxed."
If you need more help articulating the /ə/ sound, check out this video to learn the correct tongue and mouth placement.
Practicing the Schwa /ə/ Sound
Everything you need to pronounce the English /ə/ sound correctly is on this page. Just follow the instructions.
What do you have to do?
Practice for 5 minutes a day for 7 days.
That’s it.
Your goal is to pronounce the /ə/ sound clearly and easily by the end of day 7.
Let’s do it!
This guide to the American English /ə/ sound is full of useful information. Click the link below to jump to the part you are looking for:
- Day 1 of the /ə/ sound
- Day 2 of the /ə/ sound
- Day 3 of the /ə/ sound
- Day 4 of the /ə/ sound
- Day 5 of the /ə/ sound
- Day 6 of the /ə/ sound
- Day 7 of the /ə/ sound
- Additional /ə/ sound resources
- PDF download of the /ə/ sound
Day 1: The /ə/ Sound
If you are ready, let’s start with the practice for day one.
It’s pretty simple.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /ə/ sound and similar sounds like /eɪ/.
- estimate (n) - estimate (v)
- advocate (n) - advocate (v)
- elaborate (n) - elaborate (v)
- violet - violate
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- away - highway - leeway
- attack - untack - retack
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- system
- photographer
- translator
- mixer
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Why don’t you enter the system?
- Give me the number of the photographer, please.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Day 2: The /ə/ Sound
Just like day one, except simpler.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /ə/ sound and similar sounds like /ɪ/ and /æ/.
- abject - object
- abjection - objection
- devises - divisors
- advises - advisers
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- assist - insist - desist
- woman - women - wayman
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- dollar
- economic
- community
- development
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Would he consider becoming a translator?
- I’m going to get a better mixer.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- The teacher went away, oh again, again, again, the teacher went away.
- The doctoring doctor wants to doctor the doctor.
Day 3: The /ə/ Sound
Today will be the last day you only listen and repeat.
Tomorrow, you will have to start to speak.
But let’s focus on today.
Just like yesterday, watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /ə/ sound and similar sounds like /ɪ/ and /æ/.
- ammeter - amateur
- bizarre - bazaar
- abjections - objections
- topaz - topers
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- dollar - dealer - Dayler
- waiter - whiter - wetter
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- attack
- aware
- asleep
- condition
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Are you aware of the necessary conditions?
- He could not have studied economics.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ə/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers.
Day 4: The /ə/ Sound
Time to speak.
You will notice that these are the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day one.
Today, your job is different.
Open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing and speak.
Watch the video to see how it works.
- estimate (n) - estimate (v)
- advocate (n) - advocate (v)
- elaborate (n) - elaborate (v)
- violet - violate
- away - highway - leeway
- attack - untack - retack
- system
- photographer
- translator
- mixer
- Why don’t you enter the system?
- Give me the number of the photographer, please.
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Day 5: The /ə/ Sound
Let’s revisit the words, phrases, and sentences you practiced on day two.
Just like yesterday, open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing, and get ready to speak.
Let’s do it!
- abject - object
- abjection - objection
- devises - divisors
- advises - advisers
- assist - insist - desist
- woman - women - wayman
- dollar
- economic
- community
- development
- Would he consider becoming a translator?
- I’m going to get a better mixer.
- The teacher went away, oh again, again, again, the teacher went away.
- The doctoring doctor wants to doctor the doctor.
TIP*** Are there some words that the computer does not understand no matter how many times you say them? No worries, just skip it and move on. No one is perfect.
Day 6: The /ə/ Sound
You are so close to day 7.
Be proud that you have made it this far :)
In today’s lesson, let’s circle back to the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day three and practice saying them aloud.
- ammeter - amateur
- bizarre - bazaar
- abjections - objections
- topaz - topers
- dollar - dealer - Dayler
- waiter - whiter - wetter
- attack
- aware
- asleep
- condition
- Are you aware of the necessary conditions?
- He could not have studied economics.
- Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers.
Day 7: The /ə/ Sound
Congratulations!!!
You have made it to the very last day of this /ə/ sound practice course.
Do you feel like your pronunciation of this sound is improving?
Let’s finish with a simple, but challenging exercise.
Just like you did on days 4, 5, and 6, open up a Google Doc and enable voice typing.
This time, try to get the technology to recognize these six tongue twisters.
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
- The teacher went away, oh again, again, again, the teacher went away.
- The doctoring doctor wants to doctor the doctor.
- Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers
Now, turn voice typing off and try to say each tongue twister as fast as possible.
Watch the video to learn how to go through this exercise.
Additional Resources: The /ə/ Sound
Words with the /ə/ sound
| Beginning | Middle | End |
| about | different | comma |
| among | important | letter |
| agree | development | soldier |
| abuse | difficult | the |
| arise | second | idea |
| alive | general | color |
| alarm | system | |
| above | moment | |
| away | council | |
| appear | probably | |
| advice | question | |
| aware | mission | |
| asleep | condition | |
| ahead | economic | |
| attack | community | |
| afraid | cinema | |
| afford | position | |
| adopt | provide | |
| assist | woman | |
| approach | personal | |
| problem | ||
| tomorrow | ||
| even | ||
| listen | ||
| today | ||
| happen | ||
| family | ||
| open | ||
| together | ||
| tonight | ||
| tomorrow | ||
| person | ||
| reason | ||
| suppose | ||
| husband |
Minimal Pair Collection
Minimal pairs /ə/ & /eɪ/
estimate (n) - estimate (v)
advocate (n) - advocate (v)
elaborate (n) - elaborate (v)
violet - violate
Minimal pairs /ə/ & /ɪ/
ammeter - amateur
bizarre - bazaar
devises - divisors
advises - advisers
Minimal pairs /ə/ & /æ/
abject - object
abjection - objection
abjections - objections
topaz - topers
Vowel Collection
away - highway - leeway
attack - untack - retack
assist - insist - desist
woman - women - wayman
dollar - dealer - Dayler
waiter - whiter - wetter
Syllable Stress Collection
- system
- photographer
- translator
- mixer
- dollar
- economic
- community
- development
- attack
- aware
- asleep
- condition
Reduced Sounds Collection
- Why don’t you enter the system?
- Give me the number of the photographer, please.
- Would he consider becoming a translator?
- I’m going to get a better mixer.
- Are you aware of the necessary conditions?
- He could not have studied economics.
Tongue Twister Collection
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
- The teacher went away, oh again, again, again, the teacher went away.
- The doctoring doctor wants to doctor the doctor.
- Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?
- Rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers.
Additional Resources
- Rachel’s English Video on the /ə/ sound
- TEFLpedia /ə/ sound
Additional Activities for All Sounds
Practice Three Words
Answer the following question:
What do you like to do in your free time?
Pick one, two, or three words from the word bank and include them in your response. If it helps, you may write out the example sentences with the word in context first.
Youglish Research
Visit the Youglish website. Pick a word or phrase you would like to practice. Enter it into the Youglish search bar. Find three examples of the word or phrase in context to shadow.
Teacher Time
During your next English speaking practice session with a teacher or conversation partner, have a list of three to five words you would like to use. Give yourself a point every time you use the word correctly in context and it is understood. Aim to score 5 points within the first 10 minutes (so the rest of the time you focus just on communicating).
Voice Typing
Write out three sentences with challenging words or phrases. Use Google Docs or any other software with the ability to turn speech to text. Read these sentences aloud and check to see if your pronunciation is correct.
***There are a ton of possibilities. These are just a few ideas. Use the word bank, tongue twisters, example sentences, and other resources on this page to continue to work on this sound.
If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below. I read and respond to all of them.
Download the PDF version of this 7-day mini-course.
Plus the PDF-version of every single English sound for free.
