The schwa sound occurs in the middle of words with more than two syllables. Similarly, multisyllabic words beginning with the letter ‘a’ can also take on the schwa sound when it forms a weak syllable.įor example, instead of enunciating with /eɪ/ (as in say, day, may) we use the schwa sound in the following: Practice : How might you say the following? In multisyllabic words ending with the letter ‘a’, the final ‘a’ is often reduced to the schwa sound.įor instance, the following words are pronounced with a schwa sound: unstressed syllables.ĥ Uses of the Schwa In Unstressed Syllables Let’s look a 5 examples of this rule in action and, along the way, you’ll continue to identify the difference between stressed vs. The schwa only occurs in unstressed syllables. The -ma- part of my name is unstressed - the syllable with less emphasis as highlighted previously, it’s said faster and with lower volume. When it was time for me to come home, I would hear my mom or dad yell:Ĭan you identify the unstressed part of my name? When I was a child, I loved playing hide and seek or kickball in the street with my neighbhood friends. So let me share an example I learned many years ago that might help you recognize the difference: Now, this can be a challenge because not everyone can initially hear the difference between stressed vs. To understand this rule, you need to understand the difference between stressed and unstressed syllables in English.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |