The short central vowel

The short central vowel (monophthong) is produced by the middle of the tongue being raised towards the palate and held in a half open position. The lips are neutral. The sound is short, and may vary considerably in degree of openness. This sound is never used in a stressed syllable, and is therefore often termed the reduction vowel or schwa. It plays a crucial part in the rhythm system of English. Rules of pronunciation can only be inferred through the distribution of stress in individual words and utterances. Foreign learners need to pay great attention to the function of this sound in English. The illustration on the right shows relative tongue position as compared to front vowels.