English pronunciation: Schwa

English pronunciation: Schwa

Intro
Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here, I'm gonna show you how
English is really spoken. It'll help you to become a better listener and a
more fluent speaker. You ready? Come on, follow me.
idiom
Now, there's an idiom in the English language that means that something is
really easy.
Any idea what it is?
Well, here's a clue. Do you know now? Let's ask the people of London.
It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake. A piece of cake - an expression that
piece of cake
means that something is really easy to do, as well as meaning - a piece of cake.
But listen again to the words
'a' and 'of'. They're actually pronounced the same. What is the sound and are those
words stressed? It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
Schwa
The words 'a' and 'of' are both pronounced as /ə/
and they are not stressed. This sound /ə/ is the most common sound in the whole English
language. It's so common that it even has its own name,
schwa. Now, it can be difficult to hear the schwa because it's never stressed.
However, it's a vowel sound that's used in many grammar words like articles and
prepositions. Here are some more examples.
I like a cup of tea in the morning.
Could you get me a packet of biscuits?
Can you give it to me?
I had an apple for lunch today.
So, you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn.
Are you ready to start? Listen and repeat.
I like a cup of tea in the morning.
Could you get me a packet of biscuits?
Can you give it to me?
I had an apple for lunch today.
Outro
Great work. Now remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation then
please visit our website: bbclearningenglish.com. And that's about it from
the pronunciation workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye bye. Now, I've got a
cup of tea and I've got a biscuit, I'm looking forward to a piece of cake.
That was a mistake, but a tasty one.