Because most multi-syllabic words have weak syllables, the vowels sound in those weak syllables are schwas. That gobbled up vowel sound, spelled by the letter, is a schwa sound. Listen carefully to how you pronounce the word ‘chicken’ and you will notice that you don’t actually say the ‘en’ in full, but gobble it up and say ‘chick’un’ or ‘chick’in’. This is the strong syllable and the second syllable ‘en’ is a weak syllable (because it isn’t stressed). Take the word ‘chicken’ the stress in on the first syllable ‘chick’. Most multi-syllabic words in English are pronounced with a stress on one syllable. Tips for Reading with Reluctant ReadersĪnd – did you know it is the most common sound in the English language?Ī schwa sound is a weak vowel sound in an unstressed syllable.Dandelion Launchers and Readers Reading Assessments.

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What is a schwa sound