Schwa (/ə/) & Word Stress — Click the Blank to Reveal
Rule of thumb: schwa appears in unstressed syllables. Click to see IPA, stress, and schwas highlighted.
reasonable → Where is the stress & the schwa?
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/ˈriː.zə.nə.bəl/
Stress: 1st syllable (**REE**). Schwa: -za-, -na-, -ble.
accused → Where is the schwa?
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/əˈkjuːzd/
Stress: on “-CUSED”. Schwa: initial a-.
proposal → Mark stress & schwa.
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/prəˈpəʊ.zəl/
Stress: on “-PO-”. Schwa: pro- (prə), final -sal.
negotiated → Where’s the /ʃ/ and any schwa?
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/nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪ.tɪd/ (BrE) · /nəˈgoʊ.ʃi.eɪ.tɪd/ (AmE)
Stress: on “-GO-”. Schwa: initial ne- often reduces to /nə-/. /ʃ/: “-tiate” → /ʃi.eɪ/.
family → Common reduction?
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/ˈfæm.li/ or /ˈfæm.ə.li/
Stress: 1st. Many speakers compress to 2 syllables with weak final vowel (schwa-like).
support → Spot the schwa & stress.
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/səˈpɔːt/ (BrE) · /səˈpɔːrt/ (AmE)
Stress: on “-PORT”. Schwa: su-.
company → Where is the schwa?
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/ˈkʌm.pə.ni/
Stress: 1st syllable. Schwa: middle syllable “pa” → pə.
opinion → Multiple schwas?
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/əˈpɪn.jən/
Stress: on “-PIN-”. Schwa: initial “o-” → ə, final “-ion” → ən.
One-line key (schwa positions):
1 zə-nə-ble · 2 a- · 3 pro-, -sal · 4 ne- · 5 (final weak) · 6 su- · 7 -pa- → /pə/ · 8 o-, -ion.
💡 Tip: First mark the stressed syllable, then relax the others — that’s where schwa lives!
Connected Speech Features – Business English (Schwa in Cherry Red)
A. Weak Forms & Reduced Articles / Function Words
- (in_the_office) → /in-thə-offis/
- (at_the_meeting) → /ət-thə-mee-ting/
- (for_the_client) → /fə-thə-clai-yənt/
- (to_the_manager) → /tə-thə-mana-jə/
- (on_the_report) → /on-thə-ri-port/
- (send_the_email) → /send-thə-ee-mail/
- (write_the_note) → /rait-thə-noʊt/
- (make_a_call) → /meik-ə-kɔːl/
- (take_a_message) → /teik-ə-mes-ij/
- (give_a_reply) → /giv-ə-ri-plai/
B. Consonant–Vowel Linking
- (send_it_now) → /sen-dit-naʊ/
- (check_it_later) → /chek-it-lei-tə/
- (make_it_clear) → /meik-it-klɪə/
- (put_it_here) → /pu-dit-hɪə/
- (write_it_down) → /rait-it-daʊn/
- (call_it_in) → /kɔː-li-tɪn/
- (count_it_all) → /kaun-ti-tɔːl/
- (take_it_over) → /tei-ki-toʊ-və/
- (leave_it_on) → /liː-vi-tɒn/
- (send_it_out) → /sen-di-taʊt/
C. Joined Consonants (Assimilation & Deletion)
- (asked_for) → /askt-fɔː/
- (worked_with) → /wɜːrkt-wɪð/
- (signed_form) → /saind-fɔːm/
- (emailed_back) → /ee-maild-bæk/
- (called_sales) → /kɔːld-seilz/
- (checked_prices) → /chekt-prai-siz/
- (asked_sales) → /askt-seilz/
- (sent_forms) → /sent-fɔːmz/
- (made_notes) → /meid-noʊts/
- (worked_late) → /wɜːrkt-leit/
D. Reduced of, to, for, and
- (a_lot_of_clients) → /ə-lot-ə-vclai-yənts/
- (a_cup_of_coffee) → /ə-cup-ə-vcof-i/
- (end_of_day) → /end-ə-vdei/
- (part_of_team) → /pɑːt-ə-vtiːm/
- (for_a_meeting) → /fə-rə-mee-ting/
- (time_to_work) → /taim-tə-wɜːrk/
- (need_to_send) → /niːd-tə-send/
- (try_to_call) → /trai-tə-kɔːl/
- (sales_and_service) → /seilz-n-sɜːrvis/
- (notes_and_files) → /noʊts-n-faɪlz/
E. Mixed Connected Speech (Business Phrases)
- (we_sent_the_email) → /wi-sent-thə-ee-mail/
- (they_called_the_client) → /ðei-kɔːld-thə-clai-yənt/
- (we_checked_the_price) → /wi-chekt-thə-prais/
- (I_wrote_the_report) → /ai-roʊthə-ri-pɔːt/
- (we_took_it_to_sales) → /wi-tu-kit-tə-seilz/
- (they_made_a_call) → /ðei-meid-ə-kɔːl/
- (we_put_it_on_file) → /wi-pu-ti-tɒn-fail/
- (I_gave_it_to_manager) → /ai-geiv-it-tə-mana-jə/
- (they_sent_it_out) → /ðei-sen-di-taʊt/
- (we_passed_it_on) → /wi-pɑːs-ti-tɒn/