The Schwa

The schwa is a mid central vowel sound. In English this sound normally occurs in unstressed positions, but in certain languages it occurs more frequently as a stressed vowel. The name schwa is sometimes used for a neutral and unstressed vowel that is not necessarily mid central.

The word schwa comes from Hebrew. It was first used by the linguist Eduard Sievers in the 19th century. The spelling is of German origin.

The schwa is the most common vowel sound of English. It is a reduced vowel which is found in many unstressed syllables. A short vowel, the vowel quality varies depending on the adjacent consonants. In most varieties of English, it occurs almost exclusively in unstressed syllables. However, in New Zealand English, the high front vowel of words such as sit has shifted and now has a vowel quality similar to that of a schwa. This is true for many speakers of South African English as well.

In non-rhotic varieties of English, the schwa is common in word-final position in words such as here, there and pure. The schwa serves to distinguish words such as he and here. 

French has a vowel similar to the schwa, but the French vowel is rounded and less central. In fact, the French vowel has a more advanced articulation than the schwa of English. It also occurs in unstressed position, but languages which allow stressed schwas include Afrikaans, Albanian, Bulgarian and Slovenian.

Many English speakers delete the schwa in certain positions. However, deletion is variable. Deletion of the schwa can occur in words such as interesting, family and memory.

The schwa is a common vowel not only in English but in many other languages. It usually occurs in unstressed positions, but a number of languages also allow the schwa in stressed positions. It is classified as mid central unrounded and reduced vowel.