

ĕ




Vowels make several voiced sounds.
The breve about the letter reminds us that we are going to now focus on this vowel’s short, closed sound: /ĕ/, /ĕ/, /ĕ/, edge.
If remembering the sound is tricky, you can help your brain by using your body more. Trace or move your finger along the edge of a table as you say: /ĕ/, /ĕ/, /ĕ/, edge.
The sound we use for learning short, closed, letter E, is: /ĕ/, /ĕ/, /ĕ/, edge.
However, phonemes can be tricky. Depending on the word and speaker, the sound can shift.
For example, some speakers might say egg and others might say egg.
If you cannot hear the difference, that’s okay. If you can, don’t let it drive you crazy.
Both are correct.
Remember that English speech flexes and changes and does not always line up neatly with text.
Depending on the speaker and use, a vowel can create a schwa sound. A schwa is a quick and relaxed vowel sound, typically in an unaccented syllable. There is not a standardized sound for a schwa, but the most common schwa sound for letter “E” sounds like the vowel sound in the middle syllable of the word “majesty”.


/ĕ/


ĕ


ea
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