English Words with the Schwa Sound
The schwa /ə/ is the most common weak vowel sound in English. It often appears in unstressed syllables. In the words below, all schwa sounds are highlighted.
1. Everyday words with schwa in the first syllable
about
a-bout /əˈbaʊt/
ago
a-go /əˈɡəʊ/
alone
a-lone /əˈləʊn/
around
a-round /əˈraʊnd/
away
a-way /əˈweɪ/
again
a-gain /əˈɡen/
asleep
a-sleep /əˈsliːp/
alive
a-live /əˈlaɪv/
above
a-bove /əˈbʌv/
aside
a-side /əˈsaɪd/
2. Schwa in the middle or more than once
banana
ba-na-na /bəˈnɑːnə/
support
su-pport /səˈpɔːt/
correct
co-rrect /kəˈrekt/
polite
po-lite /pəˈlaɪt/
perhaps
pe-rhaps /pəˈhæps/
today
to-day /təˈdeɪ/
tonight
to-night /təˈnaɪt/
forget
fo-get /fəˈɡet/
compare
com-pare /kəmˈpeə/
collect
co-llect /kəˈlekt/
3. Final schwa sound at the end of words
teacher
teach-er /ˈtiːtʃə/
doctor
doc-tor /ˈdɒktə/
mother
moth-er /ˈmʌðə/
father
fa-ther /ˈfɑːðə/
brother
broth-er /ˈbrʌðə/
sister
sis-ter /ˈsɪstə/
actor
ac-tor /ˈæktə/
colour
col-our /ˈkʌlə/
sugar
sug-ar /ˈʃʊɡə/
dollar
dol-lar /ˈdɒlə/
4. Weak unstressed syllables in longer words
family
fam-i-ly /ˈfæməli/
animal
an-i-mal /ˈænɪməl/
memory
mem-o-ry /ˈmeməri/
history
his-to-ry /ˈhɪstəri/
factory
fac-to-ry /ˈfæktəri/
camera
cam-e-ra /ˈkæmərə/
different
dif-fe-rent /ˈdɪfrənt/
separate
sep-a-rate /ˈsepərət/
chocolate
choc-o-late /ˈtʃɒklət/
interest
in-te-rest /ˈɪntrəst/
5. Common grammar words with schwa
a
/ə/ in connected speech
the
/ðə/ before consonant sounds
to
/tə/ in weak form
for
/fə/ in weak form
of
/əv/ in weak form
from
/frəm/ in weak form
can
/kən/ in weak form
and
/ənd/ or /ən/
than
/ðən/ in weak form
some
/səm/ in weak form
6. Business and academic words with schwa
supportive
sup-port-ive /səˈpɔːtɪv/
analysis
a-nal-y-sis /əˈnæləsɪs/
approach
a-proach /əˈprəʊtʃ/
career
ca-reer /kəˈrɪə/
professional
pro-fes-sion-al /prəˈfeʃənəl/
computer
com-pu-ter /kəmˈpjuːtə/
development
de-vel-op-ment /dɪˈveləpmənt/
information
in-for-ma-tion /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən/
company
com-pa-ny /ˈkʌmpəni/
available
a-vail-a-ble /əˈveɪləbəl/
Most useful schwa words (Top 10)
about
/əˈbaʊt/
today
/təˈdeɪ/
banana
/bəˈnɑːnə/
teacher
/ˈtiːtʃə/
doctor
/ˈdɒktə/
family
/ˈfæməli/
camera
/ˈkæmərə/
different
/ˈdɪfrənt/
professional
/prəˈfeʃənəl/
available
/əˈveɪləbəl/
English Words with the Schwa Sound
The schwa /ə/ is the most common weak vowel sound in English. It often appears in unstressed syllables. These words help learners hear and practise that soft, reduced sound.
1. Everyday words with schwa in the first syllable
about
a-bout /əˈbaʊt/
ago
a-go /əˈɡəʊ/
alone
a-lone /əˈləʊn/
around
a-round /əˈraʊnd/
away
a-way /əˈweɪ/
again
a-gain /əˈɡen/
asleep
a-sleep /əˈsliːp/
alive
a-live /əˈlaɪv/
above
a-bove /əˈbʌv/
aside
a-side /əˈsaɪd/
2. Schwa in the middle syllable
banana
bə-na-na /bəˈnɑːnə/
support
sup-port /səˈpɔːt/
correct
co-rrect /kəˈrekt/
polite
po-lite /pəˈlaɪt/
perhaps
per-haps /pəˈhæps/
today
to-day /təˈdeɪ/
tonight
to-night /təˈnaɪt/
forget
for-get /fəˈɡet/
compare
com-pare /kəmˈpeə/
collect
co-llect /kəˈlekt/
3. Final schwa sound at the end of words
teacher
teach-er /ˈtiːtʃə/
doctor
doc-tor /ˈdɒktə/
mother
moth-er /ˈmʌðə/
father
fa-ther /ˈfɑːðə/
brother
broth-er /ˈbrʌðə/
sister
sis-ter /ˈsɪstə/
actor
ac-tor /ˈæktə/
colour
col-our /ˈkʌlə/
sugar
sug-ar /ˈʃʊɡə/
dollar
dol-lar /ˈdɒlə/
4. Weak unstressed syllables in longer words
family
fam-i-ly /ˈfæməli/
animal
an-i-mal /ˈænɪməl/
memory
mem-o-ry /ˈmeməri/
history
his-to-ry /ˈhɪstəri/
factory
fac-to-ry /ˈfæktəri/
camera
cam-e-ra /ˈkæmərə/
different
dif-fe-rent /ˈdɪfrənt/
separate
sep-a-rate /ˈsepərət/
chocolate
choc-o-late /ˈtʃɒklət/
interest
in-te-rest /ˈɪntrəst/
5. Common grammar words with schwa
a
/ə/ in connected speech
the
/ðə/ before consonant sounds
to
/tə/ in weak form
for
/fə/ in weak form
of
/əv/ or /ə/ in fast speech
from
/frəm/ in weak form
can
/kən/ in weak form
and
/ənd/ or /ən/
than
/ðən/ in weak form
some
/səm/ in weak form
6. Business and academic words with schwa
supportive
sup-port-ive /səˈpɔːtɪv/
analysis
a-nal-y-sis /əˈnæləsɪs/
approach
a-proach /əˈprəʊtʃ/
career
ca-reer /kəˈrɪə/
professional
pro-fes-sion-al /prəˈfeʃənəl/
computer
com-pu-ter /kəmˈpjuːtə/
development
de-vel-op-ment /dɪˈveləpmənt/
information
in-for-ma-tion /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən/
company
com-pa-ny /ˈkʌmpəni/
available
a-vail-a-ble /əˈveɪləbəl/
Most useful schwa words (Top 10)
about
/əˈbaʊt/
today
/təˈdeɪ/
banana
/bəˈnɑːnə/
teacher
/ˈtiːtʃə/
doctor
/ˈdɒktə/
family
/ˈfæməli/
camera
/ˈkæmərə/
different
/ˈdɪfrənt/
professional
/prəˈfeʃənəl/
available
/əˈveɪləbəl/