Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
shwa
Noun
/ʃwɑ/
Definition
A mid-central vowel sound in some languages, often represented by the symbol ‘ə’ in phonetics.
Examples
- The second syllable in ‘sofa’ has a shwa sound.
- Many English speakers use a shwa in the unstressed syllable of ‘banana.’
- Learning to identify the shwa can improve your pronunciation skills.
Meaning
The shwa sound is considered a neutral vowel that occurs in unstressed syllables and can help in the flow of speech.
Synonyms
- Neutral vowel
- Reduced vowel sound
