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Thread: woman for /wʊmən/ or /wəmən/

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    Default woman for /wʊmən/ or /wəmən/

    When I hear native speakers pronounce woman, sometimes it sounds like /wəmən/ not /wʊmən/.
    Are there such two pronunciations or does /ʊ/ sound like /ə/ coupled with /w/?

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    Default Re: woman for /wʊmən/ or /wəmən/

    I have never heard the /wəmən/ pronunciation.
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    Context is important. Please provide enough for us to be able to deal effectively with your question.
    Your thread title should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.
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    Default Re: woman for /wʊmən/ or /wəmən/

    Perhaps you're thinking of the plural, which in RP is /wɪmɪn/ but in speech with Estuarine tendencies (I'm thinking of Tony Blair) the /ɪ/s can become more like /ə/.

    b
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    Default Re: woman for /wʊmən/ or /wəmən/

    No, it's never about the plural form. I can distinguish the two. I think the problem is in /ʊ/, which can sound like /ə/ to Koreans' ears. We haven't been taught the exact difference between the two.

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