Here's why:
* Schwa sound: The schwa sound is a very short, unstressed vowel sound. It's represented by the symbol "ə" in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
* Unstressed syllable: In "difficult", the second syllable "fi" is unstressed.
* Short vowel: The "i" in "fi" makes a short, quick sound, characteristic of a schwa.
Therefore, the schwa vowel in "difficult" is the "i" sound in the second syllable.