Pronunciation Practice:
In a short video from Rachel's English, she describes the sound as being similar to the U in butter, and she emphasizes that every part of your mouth, jaw and neck should be relaxed when you pronounce the schwa. In a longer video about the schwa by Accent's Way English with Hadar, she also mentions that the mouth, jaw, and neck should be relaxed when making the schwa sound. Others further characterize it as neutral.
But don't underestimate the schwa! This little vowel sound can make a big difference when it comes to sounding more natural and native in English. It's easy to focus on the consonant, but vowel sounds can dramatically change the quality of our speech.
The schwa plays an important role in the rhythm of spoken language. It's a quick sound that at times nearly drops out of words and disappears.
Here are some words that contain the schwa sound. It can be at the beginning, middle, or end position. There can even be more than one schwa sound in a word. I remember how surprised some students in Vietnam were when they heard me say banana! That was a running joke for the next two weeks.
Pronounce the words below and identify the letters that make the schwa sound. Each word is linked to ELSA so that you can check your pronunciation.
A couple of weeks ago, Arícia, a woman from Brazil who now lives in the United States, asked me to explain when we say apply for and when we say apply to. This led me to do some research. Here are some of the ways we use this verb.
Apply + DIRECT OBJECT
The best way to stop the bleeding is to use a clean cloth and apply pressure.
I applied a thin layer of paint and let it dry for twenty-four hours.
She applied for the job, but she hasn't been interviewed yet.
You need to apply for a tourist visa if you want to visit Myanmar.
Our niece applied to ten different graduate schools. It took a lot of time and money.
You can apply for the program with this form.
Can you make a sentence using apply as a transitive verb, and then apply followed by the prepositions for, to, and with?
Do you use the verb apply on a regular basis? How do you use it?
It's a noun, a verb, and a modifier.
Here are some examples from Merriam-Webster's entry. Can you restate them in order to explain what they mean?
The patient's friend Andrea — who was at the hospital to support her — went into labor but didn't want to give birth under these circumstances.