Many of my clients ask, when pronouncing a simple past tense or past participle verb, is there a rule to the pronunciation? I am pleased to tell you that there is, indeed, a general rule. Like all English rules, however, there are always exceptions. What a surprise!
There are three ways to pronounce the final "-ed" in a word.
How do you know which pronunciation to use?
Learn the difference between voiceless and voiced sounds.
Words ending in Voiceless Sounds
If the last sound of the word before the "-ed" ends in a voiceless sound, other than /t/, (i.e. tʃ, f, k, p, s, ʃ , θ/), then pronounce the "-ed" like a /t/.
Examples:
- /t/
- /d/
- "id"
How do you know which pronunciation to use?
Learn the difference between voiceless and voiced sounds.
Words ending in Voiceless Sounds
If the last sound of the word before the "-ed" ends in a voiceless sound, other than /t/, (i.e. tʃ, f, k, p, s, ʃ , θ/), then pronounce the "-ed" like a /t/.
Examples:
baked barked caked chipped crashed dropped | fixed graphed helped hopped hooked impressed | laughed marked missed raked splashed stuffed |
Words ending in Voiced Sounds
If the last sound of the word ends in a voiced sound, other than /d/, (i.e. /b, g, v, ð, z, ʒ, dʒ, m, n, ŋ, l, r, w, j/), then pronounce the "-ed" like a /d/.
Examples:
If the last sound of the word ends in a voiced sound, other than /d/, (i.e. /b, g, v, ð, z, ʒ, dʒ, m, n, ŋ, l, r, w, j/), then pronounce the "-ed" like a /d/.
Examples:
chewed covered curved ended fired | hanged lived mailed played planned | rolled stored shaved spilled viewed |
Be careful! You want to pay attention to the sound that comes right before the "-ed", not the spelling/letter that comes before it. All regular past tense verbs that end in a vowel before the "-ed" are pronounced with a /d/ sound (i.e. argued, cried, married, tried)
What are the exceptions to the rule?
Words ending in /d/ or /t/
If the last sound of the word has a /d/ or t/t sound before the "-ed", then pronounce the "-ed" as "id" as in "kid," adding an extra syllable.
Examples:
What are the exceptions to the rule?
Words ending in /d/ or /t/
If the last sound of the word has a /d/ or t/t sound before the "-ed", then pronounce the "-ed" as "id" as in "kid," adding an extra syllable.
Examples:
created ended dated faded folded | hated lended lifted naked rated | supported traded visited waited wicked |