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If we only added the schwa (ə) to the script, then in my Received Pronunciation accent, it would be "photəgraph" versus "photogrəphy". On the other hand, English has an astonishing ability to replace vowels with schwas; pretty much every sentence remains comprehensible with every vowel syllable spoken as "ə".

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> pretty much every sentence remains comprehensible with every vowel syllable spoken as "ə"

Making learning a language where the vowel sounds are the important one a freakin’ nightmare for Anglophones.

> English has an astonishing ability to replace vowels with schwas

That only works with the unstressed vowels [1], so we have "phətogrəphy" because "to" is a full stress and "phy" is a half stress.

[1] Except in NZ English, where the ɪ-sound ("i" as in "if") and schwa (ə) are pronounced the same.

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