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Əuh

Schwa

In unstressed syllables, vowels often make a lazy 'uh' sound called schwa, like the A in 'about'.

How this rule works

Schwa “uh” is the most common vowel sound in English. Any vowel letter can make the schwa sound when it's in an unstressed syllable. It sounds like a quick, lazy 'uh'.

Remember: Schwa is lazy — any vowel can say 'uh' when it's not stressed!

Examples

aboutbananatakenpencilsupport

Words that use this rule

1,434 words in the SnapPhonics dictionary use this rule. Tap any word to see how it breaks into sounds. Showing the first 200 alphabetically.

abilityableabolitionaboutaboveabrahamabroadabsorbabsorbsabsquatulateacademyaccessibilityaccommodationaccompaniesaccompanyaccuracyaccurateachievedacrobatacrossactualactuallyacuityadaptationadditionadditionaladolescentadoptadoptedadoptionadorableadoreadornadornedadultadultsadvanceadvancedadvancementadvancementsaffectionaffectiveaffirmaffirmingafraidafricaagainagainstagencyagentagileagoagreeagreedaheadahoyalarmalertalignaliveallegoricalallowallowedalmondaloftalonealongaloudalphaalphabetalternativeamazeamazedambivalenceambulanceamerica'samericanamidstamongamountamuseamusedancientandandrogenandrogensangelangleangularanimalanimalsanimateanimatingannaannalannalsannounceannouncedannouncementannoyanotheranthropologistapartmentapostleapparatusappearappearanceappearedappearsappleappliedapplyappointmentapproachingaprilarabicarchaeologicalarchitectarchitecturearchitecturesaren'targumentarrangearrangementarticlearticulatearticulatesarticulationarticulatoryartifactartifactsartisanartisansartistascendascendancyasleepaspireaspiringassassinateassassinatedassertassertiveassignassignmentassociateassociatedastronautastrophysicalastropoliticalatmosphereatmosphericattachattachedattachmentattackattackedattemptattemptedattendattendedattentionattentiveattentivelyattractattritionaudacityaudiovisualaugustauthorityautographautomaticautonomyautumnavataravenueavoidavoidedawakeawardawarenessawashawaybalancebalancedbalancesbalconiesbalconyballoonballotbananabarrelbasketbasketballbattlebeautifulbeautifullybeetlebicyclebiscuit

Exceptions

Schwa is context-dependent and appears in unstressed syllables. Any vowel letter can represent it.

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