Schwa Sound Lessons

Schwa sound

​

What is the schwa sound?

This sound is one of the most common sounds in English. It is regularly found in unstressed syllables in words with two or more syllables. In English there are three stresses: primary stress, secondary stress and the weak stress; the schwa sound. You can find the schwa sound at the begging of a word like in:

About, Arise. Around, Unless. Obscure

What is the schwa sound?

You can also find this sound in the middle of a word like in:

Today Toningt Tomorrow University Diversity

How do we find and use the schwa sound?

• Step one: Identify the primary stress in a word.

• Step two: The rest of the syllables have either a shwa sound or a normal vocal sound.

• The words with the affix: -ar -er -ir -or -ur -ar -ough -tion.

• In fact, you can pronounce the shwa in any unstressed vowel.

The schwa sound /ə/

• Concert

• Office

• Jacket

• Advanced

• Alone

• Trouble

• Teacher

Multiple Choice

What is the schwa sound represented by in the word 'banana'?

• The 'b'

• The last 'a'

• The first 'n'

• The second 'a'

Multiple Choice

In the word 'elephant', which vowel changes to a schwa sound?

• i

• a

• e

• o

Multiple Choice

Words with schwa refer to _______

• Letter spelling

• Sound spelling

Multiple Choice

__wel

• gu

• ju

• ge

• je

Multiple Choice

cens__

• es

• is

• os

• us

Multiple Choice

The English letters a, e, i, o, u are called

• Vowel

• Diphthong

• Phonetic

• Consonant

Multiple Choice

b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z are the example of

• Vowel

• Diphthong

• Phonetic

• Consonant

Multiple Choice

A special type of short vowel which is a very "weak" sound that is never stressed is called

• Short Vowels

• Long Vowels

• Schwa

• Diphthongs

Multiple Choice

Which word has the /ə/ sound?

• dog

• chair

• balloon

Multiple Choice

Which word has the /ə/ sound?

• pizza

• hippo

• mouse

Multiple Choice

The "Schwa" is the most common vowel sound in English.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

This vowels can make a "Schwa" sound:

Multiple Choice

The "Schwa" is an energetic sound.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

These 3 words contain the "Schwa" at the beginning: about - above - again

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which word does not have the "Schwa"?

• Bamboo

• Dinosaur

Multiple Select

Select the 2 words with "Schwa":

• Igloo

• Butter

• Actor

Multiple Choice

The sound that most vowels make when they are feeling schwa is /UH/

Multiple Choice

SCHWA is the name of the most common vowel sound

Multiple Choice

This is the phonetic symbol for the schwa sound.

Multiple Choice

One of the main characteristics of the schwa is:

• It occurs always in stressed positions.

• It is a “neutral vowel” because the mouth position is neutral.

• The schwa sound is “extremely long”.

• It is the least common vowel sound in English.

Multiple Choice

Examples of words with schwa are, except one:

• About

• Miracle

• Heal

• Banana

Multiple Choice

Etymology

• A history of a word

• The study of language meaning

• The study of language

• A history of an antonym

Multiple Choice

MISunderstand is an example of:

• Suffix

• Prefix

• Affix

• Lingua franca

Multiple Choice

useless is an example of:

• Prefix

• Inflect

• Suffix

• Syntax

Multiple Choice

"It's raining cats and dogs" is an example of

• Phrasal verb

• Imperative form

• Idiom

• Homonym