Schwa: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
imported>Ro Thorpe mNo edit summary |
imported>Ro Thorpe No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{subpages}}'''Schwa'''<ref>[[IPA]] / | {{subpages}}'''Schwa'''<ref>[[IPA]] /ʃwɑː/</ref> is the name linguists use for the most neutral of vowel sounds, the gentle grunt of the first syllable of 'uh huh'. Its [[IPA|phonetic symbol]] is '''ə'''. | ||
In [[English language|English]], it can be represented by a number of vowel-letters: it is the ''u'' in 'careful', the ''e'' in 'worker', the 'a' in above' and the 'o' in 'person'. | In [[English language|English]], it can be represented by a number of vowel-letters: it is the ''u'' in 'careful', the ''e'' in 'worker', the 'a' in above' and the 'o' in 'person'. | ||
Revision as of 14:18, 4 March 2008
Schwa[1] is the name linguists use for the most neutral of vowel sounds, the gentle grunt of the first syllable of 'uh huh'. Its phonetic symbol is ə.
In English, it can be represented by a number of vowel-letters: it is the u in 'careful', the e in 'worker', the 'a' in above' and the 'o' in 'person'.
Some languages have more than one schwa. In addition to the English one, Portuguese has ɐ, which, as its 'a'-like symbol implies, is a little more open.