Here's why:
* Stress: The word "conference" has the primary stress on the first syllable, "con". This means the "o" in "con" is pronounced with more emphasis.
* Unstressed Vowels: Unstressed vowels often have a shorter, less distinct pronunciation. In this case, the "e" in "fer" has a very short, almost silent sound.
Let me know if you'd like to explore other words with unstressed vowels!