schwa

/ˈʃwaʊ, ˈskwɑː/

Definitions

1. noun

A mid-central vowel sound, often represented by the letter ‘ə’ in phonetic transcription, and pronounced approximately as ‘uh’ or ‘u’ in certain positions.

“The pronunciation of the word ‘about’ is often represented with a schwa sound: /əˈbaʊt/.”

Synonyms

  • mid-central vowel
  • neutral vowel

Antonyms

  • high vowel
  • low vowel