What is the schwa sound in paper?

It's the "e".

The schwa sound is a mid-central vowel sound that is very common in English. It is represented by the symbol /ə/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The schwa sound is a relaxed, unstressed sound that can be found in many different words.

To understand the schwa sound in the word "paper," you can break it down into syllables: "pa-per." In English, when a syllable is not stressed, it often contains the schwa sound. The first syllable "pa" is stressed, so it does not have the schwa sound. However, the second syllable "per" is unstressed, and therefore, it contains the schwa sound.

The schwa sound is a neutral vowel sound that is often found in unaccented syllables, such as in the second syllables of words like "aside," "banana," or "butter." It is a very common sound in English, and understanding its presence in words can help with pronunciation and spoken fluency.