vowel reduction

Vowel reduction is a natural speech process where unstressed vowels in words become less distinct and more neutral in pronunciation, often sounding like a quick, relaxed "uh" or similar sound. This happens because speakers tend to emphasize only the stressed syllables, making unstressed vowels less prominent. For example, in the word "banana," the second and third vowels are typically reduced, so it sounds like "buh-nan-uh" in casual speech. Vowel reduction helps speech flow smoothly and efficiently, especially in rapid conversation, and is common in many languages, including English.