An apparatus for controlling the speed of an AC motor comprising a switch adapted to be coupled in parallel with power terminals for the AC motor; a capacitor coupled in series with the parallel combination of the switch and the motor; the capacitor adapted to provide an AC supply voltage from an AC source to the parallel circuit comprising the motor and the switch; and a control circuit for controlling the conduction time of the switch in order to vary the speed of the motor. The switch is preferably pulse-width modulated at a frequency twice the line frequency of the AC supply voltage, and the switch is turned on when the voltage across the AC motor is zero volts. The apparatus is operable to provide for continuously variable control of the motor speed while minimizing acoustic noise in the motor.