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Why does one English vowel sound hide under so many letters?

The letters in “support” and “banana” look different, yet their unstressed vowels can share the schwa sound. Stress helps explain why spelling alone is a poor guide to what reaches the ear. The exact reductions depend on accent and speaking style.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Which syllables change most between a deliberately stressed version and ordinary connected speech?

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Why does one English vowel sound hide under so many letters? | Speech Topic | speaking.app