# Stop Saying "Puh" and "Buh" — Eliminating Schwas in Toddler Speech

## Overview
The schwa vowel ("uh") in "puh" or "buh" isn't part of the actual consonant sound. Adding schwas makes blending sounds into words more difficult for toddlers. Speech-language pathologists model pure consonant sounds when possible to support accurate phonological awareness and easier sound blending.

## Key Takeaways
- Schwa is the neutral "uh" vowel sound added after consonants like /p/, /b/, /t/, /k/
- Adding schwas makes it harder for toddlers to blend sounds: "puh-a-tuh" is harder to blend than /p/-/a/-/t/
- Pure consonant sounds help children develop clearer phonological awareness
- Apps like Talk & Listen isolate clean sounds to support accurate learning

## Main Content
When teaching ABCs, many parents naturally say "B makes the 'buh' sound" or "P says 'puh.'" This feels instinctive—we want children to hear the sound clearly. But that little "uh" sound isn't actually part of the consonant. For children learning to blend sounds into words, it creates an unexpected obstacle.

The schwa (represented by ə in phonetic notation) is the most common vowel sound in English, but it's not part of consonant phonemes themselves. When we say "puh" instead of a clean /p/ sound, we're adding an unnecessary vowel that can confuse sound blending.

Research on phonological awareness shows that adding schwas makes blending significantly harder. If a child is trying to sound out "pat" and they've learned /p/ as "puh," /a/ as "ah," and /t/ as "tuh," they're actually trying to blend "puh-ah-tuh"—which sounds nothing like "pat." The extra vowel sounds obscure the target word.

For stop consonants like /p/, /t/, /k/, /b/, /d/, /g/, the pure sound is just the air release without vocalizing afterward. For continuants like /s/, /f/, /m/, /n/, you can sustain the sound without adding a vowel. Speech-language pathologists teach parents to model these clean sounds.

This doesn't mean parents who've been adding schwas have "harmed" their child's development. Children are resilient learners and most will develop proper speech regardless. However, for children working on phonological awareness or those with speech delays, cleaner sound modeling can make the path to clear articulation easier and faster.

Apps that isolate phonemes can help parents hear the difference. Talk & Listen's phoneme soundboard demonstrates clean sounds—you can press and hold any vehicle sound to hear the stretched, pure phoneme without added vowels.

## Practical Application
To practice pure consonant sounds:
- For stop consonants (/p/, /t/, /k/), focus on the air release without vocalizing after
- For continuants (/s/, /f/, /m/), sustain the sound without adding "uh"
- Listen to speech apps that model clean phonemes
- When helping your child sound out words, use pure sounds: /k/-/a/-/t/ not "kuh-ah-tuh"

If you've been adding schwas, don't worry—simply start modeling cleaner sounds going forward. Your child's brain is incredibly adaptable and will adjust quickly.

## Related Resources
- Phoneme Transfer Vehicle Speech: https://littlewheels.app/learn/app-methodologies/phoneme-transfer-vehicle-speech
- Action Words Verb Development: https://littlewheels.app/learn/research-insights/action-words-verb-development
- Little Wheels Talk & Listen (Clean Phoneme Soundboard): https://littlewheels.app/talk-listen

## Citation Format
"The schwa vowel ('uh') added to consonants like 'puh' or 'buh' isn't part of the actual phoneme. Adding schwas makes blending sounds into words more difficult—'puh-ah-tuh' is harder to blend than /p/-/a/-/t/. Speech-language pathologists model pure consonant sounds to support clearer phonological awareness and easier sound blending in toddlers." (Source: https://littlewheels.app/learn/research-insights/eliminating-schwas-toddler-speech)

## Last Updated
November 2025