Editing Deseret alphabet (section)

=== Representation of {{IPA|[ə]}} ===
The Deseret alphabet does not have a distinct symbol for the [[mid central vowel]] ([{{IPA|[[ə]]}}], "schwa"). The lack of a schwa has been cited as the biggest "[[phonological]] flaw" in the alphabet.<ref name="Spendlove2015" /><ref name="Beesley2002" />{{rp|3}}

[[File:The word broken in MJ Shelton's Deseret handwriting.png|thumb|239x239px |Shelton using his [[schwa]] to handwrite the word "broken" (<span lang="en-Dsrt">𐐺𐑉𐐬𐐿ı𐑌</span>) ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|oʊ|k|ə|n}}). The standard way to render this word is <span lang="en-Dsrt">𐐺𐑉𐐬𐐿𐑌</span> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|oʊ|k|n}}).]]Because of the lack of a schwa, the author must write the sound that would be used if the syllable was stressed. For example, the word ''enough'' is commonly pronounced {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|n|ʌ|f}}, but when it is stressed (as in a declaration of irritation) it is pronounced {{IPAc-en|i|ˈ|n|ʌ|f}}. The Deseret spelling of the word, <span lang="en-Dsrt">𐐨𐑌𐐲𐑁</span>, reflects that stressed pronunciation. If [{{IPA|[[ə]]}}] does not have an inherent stressed value in a word, as is often the case before {{IPAc-en|r}}, then it is written as <span lang="en-Dsrt">𐐲</span>.<ref name="Walker2005" />{{rp|32–33}}

[[Marion Jackson Shelton]],<ref>https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/marion-jackson-shelton-1833?lang=eng</ref> an early [[Mormon missionary]], proposed the addition of a new glyph to represent the schwa, a simple vertical line of the same height as other Deseret characters with a similar appearance to the [[Turkish dotless i]] (ı). The addition of this glyph did not catch on among his contemporaries, however, and no document outside of ones penned by Shelton makes use of it.<ref name="Beesley2004" />{{rp|19–20}} Shelton used the new glyph in an 1860 letter to Brigham Young reporting on a recently completed mission to the [[Southern Paiute|Paiute people]].<ref>{{Cite letter|last=Shelton|first=Marion J.|url=https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE3956499|date=3 April 1860|title=Beloved brother, it is with heartfelt gratitude to my Heavenly Father...|recipient=Brigham Young}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>