The Pronunciation of the Schwa: An Acoustic Analysis of Gender Inclusivity in Spoken Italian

In Italian, the schwa has spread to encode gender beyond the binary, yet /ə/ is not part of the standard phonemic inventory. This study addresses the recurring unpronounceability argument by focusing on acoustic vowel distance. Drawing on 10 interpreters’ production of words containing the mid-central vowel (/ə/; n=205) and vowels most likely to replace it (/a/, /ɛ/, /e/, /ɔ/, /o/; n=925), we conducted an acoustic analysis via Pillai scores (z-normalized F1-F2) and a mixed-effects model of Euclidean distances from the space center. Results show that /ə/ is produced as a distinct sound with higher centralization than standard Italian vowels.