– Match the words with their pictures and IPA transctiption:

applause    laughter    connect    surprise

– Which letter is pronounced /ə/ in each word?

Answers & Audio

/əˈplɔːz/ – applause
/kəˈnɛkt/ – connect
/səˈprʌɪz/ – surprise
/ˈlɑːftə/ – laughter

The schwa sound /ə/ is commonly spelt in written English with any of
< a, e, o, u >
.
It only appears on unstressed syllables. 

– Listen and find a schwa sound in each word:

Answers & Audio

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