What does SCHWA mean?

schwa

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: A mid-central vowel sound represented by the symbol ə in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). It is the most common vowel sound in English and is often pronounced as a weak, unstressed sound, like the "uh" sound in "sofa" or "cinema".

Pronunciations: US: /ʃwɑ/ or /ʃwə/, UK: /ʃwɑː/ or /ʃwə/

Origin and Usage: The word "schwa" comes from the Hebrew word shva, which means "emptiness" or "nothing". It was first used in English in the late 19th century to describe the unstressed vowel sound that occurs in many English words. The schwa sound is used in many languages, including English, French, and German.

Synonyms: unstressed vowel, neutral vowel, indeterminate vowel

Related Words: vowel, sound, phoneme, accent, stress

Example Sentences:

• She pronounced the word "sofa" with a schwa sound.
• The schwa is the most common vowel sound in English.
• Many English speakers are unaware of the schwa sound.
• The schwa sound is often used in unstressed syllables.
• The word "cinema" contains a schwa sound in the second syllable.