1. Tongue Position:
* Central: The tongue is neither raised nor lowered significantly. It sits in a neutral position, neither forward nor back in the mouth.
* Relaxed: The tongue muscles are not tense. The tongue is simply resting in its most comfortable position.
2. Jaw Position:
* Slightly open: The jaw is slightly open, allowing for the air to flow freely through the mouth.
3. Lip Position:
* Neutral: The lips are neither rounded nor spread.
4. Airflow:
* Unrestricted: Air flows freely out of the mouth.
5. Acoustic Characteristics:
* Mid-central: The schwa vowel is located in the middle of the vowel chart, both horizontally and vertically.
* Short and unstressed: It is typically a short and unstressed sound.
Examples:
* The "a" in "about"
* The "e" in "the"
* The "i" in "again"
Note: The exact articulation of the schwa vowel can vary slightly depending on the speaker and the surrounding sounds in a word. However, the general principles of tongue relaxation and central position remain consistent.