Meaning of the word schwa in English

What does schwa mean in English? Explore the meaning, pronunciation, and specific usage of this word with Lingoland.

schwa

US /ʃwɑː/
UK /ʃwɑː/
"schwa" picture

Noun

the unstressed central vowel (as in a in sofa and e in taken), represented by the symbol /ə/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Example:
The word 'about' starts with a schwa sound.
Many unstressed vowels in English are pronounced as a schwa.