Americans use reduced vowels and speech when they talk. They do not say every sound and syllable clearly and distinctly.

Look at the words in the careful speech column below. If you use careful speech forms your accent will sound too formal to American listeners.

If you use the corresponding reduced speech forms in the second column your accent will sound more natural.

Careful Speech ->Reduced Speech
want tosounds like wannə
going to sounds like gonnə
have to sounds like haftə
did you sounds like didjə

In reduced speech the last consonant sound in the first word changes (or is deleted) as it blends into the following preposition. The vowel in the preposition takes on a schwa vowel sound. These sound changes help create the speech rhythm that is so important for an American English accent.

In many situations when a vowel is followed by an /r/, only the /r/ sound is heard. The vowel sound isn’t really heard at all! This is called the schwa + r /ɚ/.

The letter combinations or, er, ur & ir often have the /ɚ/sound. Here are some commonly used words that contain this sound. Even in stressed syllables this sound is fairly short in duration.

word
world
work
honor
learn
perfect
jury
sure
surprise
girl
bird

The letter a + /r/ also sounds like /ɚ/ when it occurs in unstressed syllables. Words include: dollar, polar, grammar, collar.

The /ɚ/ creates a syllable but this syllable does not have a clear vowel sound. Please click here if you need to know about the schwa vowel sound.

In spoken English the schwa (see the image above) is the relaxed vowel sound that is frequently used to articulate the vowel sounds in unstressed syllables. Click here to read about syllable stress.

The schwa sound is made with your tongue in a relaxed position in the center of your mouth. It sounds like “uh”.

Any vowel can sound like a schwa when it occurs in an unstressed syllable.

Here a a few words that begin with the schwa vowel sound. Since the first syllable in these words is unstressed, the vowel sound is a schwa.

allow
ahead
around

economy
evaluate
erase

obtain
object
offend

undo
unlock
understand

The schwa sound is the most common vowel sound in English. Pronouncing this vowel correctly will help you improve the way you communicate with American English listeners. I teach you how to use the schwa vowel sound so that you can reduce your accent in my accent reduction coaching course.

Here is an example. When I say my name, Susan, the first syllable is stressed so the vowel has a long high sound. The second syllable is reduced so the vowel has a schwa (uh) sound. Spelling using phonetic symbols my name would look like: ‘su:-zən.

The most commonly spoken English word is the and it is frequently mispronounced by non-native speakers because it starts with the troublesome voiced th sound. The phonetic symbol for the voiced th is /ð/. Using phonetic symbols it would look like ðə.

You  simply must learn to use the schwa vowel sound in order to reduce your accent!

One accent training book that provides lots of lessons on the schwa vowel sound is Mastering the American Accent. You can see the details and reviews at this link.
Mastering the American Accent with Audio CDs

For example: I typically find that my accent reduction students are not aware of the schwa vowel sound. This is the reduced vowel sound found in unstressed syllables. However, once they learn about the schwa sound in their accent reduction lessons they begin to notice and hear the schwa sound everywhere. Once they hear how frequent the schwa sound is, they realize how important it is for achieving a proper American English accent.

Accent improvement starts from focused listening for new sounds and patterns. Once you raise your consciousness of the way that American English sounds and patterns are different from the sounds of your own language, you will begin to listen in a whole new way.

After you notice a sound or pattern you need to practice it and incorporate it into your speech. This is not easy and it takes consistent practice but you can do it if you have the right tools and resources.

One great book that you can use to learn American English speech sounds and patterns is called Pronunciation Pairs. This book and CD set focuses on vowel and consonant sounds as well as syllable stress, sentence stress and intonation patterns. You can view inside the book by clicking on the link below.
Pronunciation Pairs Student’s Book with Audio CD

The best place to learn about the schwa is here on the BBC website. Be sure to view the funny video at the bottom of the page.

Charlsie Childs has some great lessons on the schwa vowel sound on her CD, Improving Your American English Accent. You can check it out by clicking on the link here. Improve Your American English Accent : Overcoming Major Obstacles to Understanding

Heteronyms are two words that are spelled identically. The way the words are pronounced determines the meaning.

One good example is the word: ADDRESS.
When you say the word ‘address’ the way you use syllable stress changes the meaning of the word.

When you place stress is on the first syllable, address is a noun as in this sentence:
Susan’s ADdress is 2010 Pine Street.

When you place stress on the second syllable, address is a verb as in this sentence:
Susan will ədDRESS the class tomorrow.

Note that the reduced syllable in the verb form has a schwa (ə) vowel sound.

There are many more examples of syllable stress in heteronyms and I’ll post more of these in the next couple of days.

BTW-don’t forget to add this blog to your bookmarks!

One way that non-native English speakers can improve their accent is to learn to use the rhythms of spoken English. In my accent reduction classes and coaching sessions I spend significant time working with stress and rhythm because these features of English are key to comprehensibility.

Here are a few tips to remember:

In every word with two or more syllables, one syllable is stressed or emphasized.

1. The vowels in stressed syllables are pronounced with a higher pitch and longer duration than the other vowels in a word.
2. The vowel sounds in unstressed syllables often have a schwa sound.
3. The stressed syllables of content and focus words create stress within a phrase or thought group.

If you are interested in learning more about my accent reduction classes click on the Contact Me tab above and send me a question.

Here is some more information and a syllable stress practice activity.

Specific pronunciation problems include the schwa vowel sound, and voiced and voiceless sounds such as the /s/ & /z/ sounds, the /p/ & /b/ sounds and the /f/ & /v/ sounds.

Here is an article from the Manila Bulletin that explains more about these pronunciation differences.

American English Pronunciation Problems for Filipinos

You can also click here to check out my earlier post on voiced & voiceless sounds.

Most two syllable nouns are stressed on the first syllable. Other two syllable words including many verbs, reflexive pronouns and prepositions are stressed on the second syllable.

Here is a video from Charles Kelly that you can use to practice pronouncing words with second syllable stress.

Note-Charles does not always use the schwa sound for the unstressed “e” in words such as between. Keep in mind that many American English speakers use the schwa sound for these vowels. You can read more about the schwa sound here-

Also, instead of listening and repeating each word after Charles, say it along with him. That way you’ll really feel the stress pattern!

American English syllable stress video