/ə/

The /ə/ sound in English, known as the schwa, is a mid-central vowel (meaning the tongue is positioned halfway between a close vowel and an open vowel) and it’s unrounded (lips are relaxed). Here’s how you pronounce it:

• Position your mouth and tongue: For the /ə/ sound, your mouth should be relaxed and halfway open, and your tongue should be in the middle of your mouth, not touching the roof or the bottom of your mouth.
• Voicing: The /ə/ sound is a voiced vowel, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you produce this sound. You should feel a vibration if you lightly touch the front of your throat while saying the sound.
• Release the sound: With your mouth and tongue in the correct positions, let your breath flow out over your tongue and through your mouth. The vocal cords vibrate to produce the /ə/ sound. The schwa /ə/ is a short, weak sound that doesn’t have its own stress in a word.