The lazy vowel: schwa (/ə/)

Objective & content

This Sound Check video (about 3 minutes) fixes one mistake: saying every small word fully and clearly, which sounds robotic. Freya (British) and Cody (American) teach schwa, the quietest sound in English: a lazy uh. Relax the mouth, do not open it wide, do not smile. The hosts compare full and lazy: a said fully is ay, lazily it is uh; to said fully is too, lazily it is tuh. They say this is how English really works. Students repeat the pairs, then one sentence: I'd like a ticket... to Paris. Then they play a three-round game: full or lazy?

Pedagogical guide

Learners fall into two groups. French, Spanish, Italian and Polish learners give every vowel its full value, so a becomes ay and to becomes too in small words. German and Dutch speakers already have a schwa in their own language (the last sound of German bitte). Ask them to use that same relaxed sound for a, to and for. European Portuguese already reduces unstressed vowels, so use that too. Both hosts say schwa the same way: there is no British or American difference to explain here. The game tests listening only, so check the speaking yourself.

Suggested procedure

1. Before (3 min). Write a, to and for on the board. Ask a few students to read a ticket to Paris fast. Do they say ay and too?
2. Watch (4 min). Play the video once. Students repeat aloud when the hosts say "Try it with us", "Say them with me" and "Now a sentence, with me".
3. Game (2 min). Play the game again. Pause each time a host says "Listen..." and the sound, before the other host gives the answer. The class votes: full or lazy?
4. After (3 min). In pairs, students say I'd like a ticket... to Paris three times, a little faster each time.

Materials & prerequisites

• The video, a screen and sound for the whole class.
• The example words are at about A2- level. Students do not need phonetic symbols.

Assessment & extensions

Say ay and uh, too and tuh in random order. Students show a wide mouth for the full sound and a relaxed hand for the lazy one.