schwa

noun Phonetics.

1. the mid-central, neutral vowel sound typically occurring in unstressed syllables in English, however spelled, as the sound of a in alone and sofa, e in system, i in easily, o in gallop, u in circus.
2. the phonetic symbol ə, used to represent this sound.

noun

1. a central vowel represented in the International Phonetic Alphabet by (ə). The sound occurs in unstressed syllables in English, as in around, mother, and sofa
2. the symbol (ə) used to represent this sound

n.1895, from German Schwa, ultimately from Hebrew shewa “a neutral vowel quality,” literally “emptiness.”