"vowel reduction"的定义和意义

What is "vowel reduction"?

Vowel reduction is a phonological process in which a vowel sound becomes less distinct or is pronounced with less emphasis, often resulting in a shorter or centralized sound. This typically occurs in unstressed syllables, where the vowel may shift towards a more neutral or mid-central sound, such as the schwa /ə/. For example, in the word "banana," the first and last vowels are reduced to a schwa sound in casual speech, resulting in a pronunciation that emphasizes the middle syllable. Vowel reduction is significant in linguistics because it highlights how stress patterns affect vowel quality, providing insights into the rhythmic and phonetic structure of languages.