This will enable you to communicate clearly what you want to say. Frequent practice and review is important. We suggest practice sessions at least three or four times a week, even if you can only manage 20 or 30 minutes each session. We know this is hard work. Take breaks when you get tired. Improvement takes time, but little by little, you will succeed. | Lesson o as in a upon and soda PRONOUNCING a The schwa vowel a is a very short quick sound. Your lips should be completely relaxed and barely move during its production. a is the sound that results when ANY vowel in English is unstressed in a word. The vowels in all unstressed syllables almost always sound like a . Any letter or combination of letters can represent the schwa a . Possible Pronunciation Problems In most languages vowels are pronounced clearly and distinctly. The schwa a does not exist. In English unstressed vowels should receive much less force than other vowels in the word. In order to speak fluent English you must unstress or reduce any vowels that are NOT in accented syllables of words. Vowel reduction to a is not sloppy speech. It is an important feature of spoken English. Practice EXERCISE A Listen and repeat. Notice how the syllable with the al vowel receives less stress than the other syllables in the word. a At the Beginning of Words a In the Middle of Words a At the End of Words ago upon agony relative soda famous away contain holiday seventy sofa lemon along asleep company telephone zebra cousin amaze suppose buffalo photograph reason circus a Spelled a e i o u arrive oven liquid occur upon ashamed open humid obtain suppose asleep cement capital lemon circus away jacket typical lessen column signal belief cousin contain support note Other spellings of a include eo oil ion io and ai. pigeon famous delicious nation certain 58 note The schwa 0 can occur more than once arid can be represented by different letters in the same word. president elephant accident . EXERCISE B SI Listen and repeat. Be sure to pronounce the syllable with 0 with less force than other syllables. 1. How are you today 2. See you tonight. 3. See you tomorrow. 4. Don t complain. suppose so. 6. I suppose its possible. 7. Consider my complaint. 8. Complete today s lessen. 9. Don t camplain about the problem. 10. My cousin will arrive at seven. CHECK YOURSELF 1 flf Listen
