Flexing a vowel

Flexing a vowel – a method for adjusting the pronunciation of the vowel that occurs in an unaccented syllable when the vowel does not sound as a true short or long vowel. For example, in the word wagon, the second syllable ‘-on’ is unaccented, and the ‘o’ is not pronounced as a pure short ‘o’ or long ‘o’. Instead, it is a schwa which sounds something like a short ‘u’.