Let Your Unstressed Vowels Turn Into 'Uh'

Bengali vowels tend to keep their full, clear quality wherever they appear in a word, which is a natural and correct feature of Bengali. English, however, does something unusual: whenever a syllable isn't stressed, its vowel often relaxes into a short, neutral 'uh' sound, no matter what letter is actually written. Say 'banana' out loud — only the middle syllable keeps its full vowel; the other two collapse into that same lazy 'uh.' Keeping every vowel fully pronounced can make English sound stiff or overly formal to native ears, even if every sound is technically 'correct.' Try this: say 'photograph,' 'camera,' and 'banana' slowly, then say them fast and relaxed, deliberately letting the unstressed vowels go soft and short while keeping the stressed one strong and clear. It might feel like you're being sloppy — you're not. That laziness is exactly the rhythm native English speakers use every day.