Weak Vowels in Received Pronunciation

In English the schwa is very common in unstressed syllables. It is the first vowel in ago and potato. However, Received Pronunciation, a variety of English that does not have the weak-vowel merger, also uses the high front unrounded lax vowel extensively.

In the past, the word visibility was pronounced with the high front unrounded lax vowel in the second and fourth syllables, but this is now rare. Most speakers today use the schwa in the second and fourth syllables. This is evidence that the use of the schwa in Received Pronunciation has increased, but the high front unrounded lax vowel still occurs in many unstressed syllables.

Received Pronunciation contrasts addition and edition. In the first word the schwa in used, but in the second the high front [I] is used. Received Pronunciation has the high front [I] in cabin, but the schwa in ribbon. In Received Pronunciation these two words do not rhyme.

Here are words which have the schwa in Received Pronunciation:

allow
anthem
apron
ballad
button
carrot
children
chorus
hamlet
happiness
joyous
palace
parrot
piglet
stomach

The following words have the high front [I]:

cabbage
event
finish
language
lettuce
liquid
magic
magnet
millet
office
puppet
rabbit
spirit
toxic
trumpet

Many words with the schwa can also be realized with syllabic consonants such as middle, open and rhythm. A number of observations can be stated. The schwa occurs in the diminutive suffix -let such as in booklet, piglet and ringlet and in the derivative suffix -ness such as in forgiveness, happiness and kindness. The high front [I] occurs in word-final -ic such as in basic, classic and historic and also in word-final -age such as in advantage, baggage and manage. In Received Pronunciation both the schwa and the high front lax vowel occur regularly in unstressed syllables.