The pronunciation of ed in English

General rule
The past simple and past participle of all regular verbs in English end in ed.

Base verb

Past simple

Past participle

work

worked

worked

How do we pronounce ed?

There are 3 ways.

/t/

/d/

/ d /

/ d /
If the base verb ends in the sounds / t / or / d /. want need wanted /wontd/ needed /ni:dd/

Note it is the last sound that is important, not the letter or spelling. complete completed /kmpli:td/

/t/
If the base verb ends in one of the following unvoiced sounds:
/ p / stop / k / walk
/ f / laugh / s / pass / / wash

stopped /stopt/ walked /w:kt/

laughed /l:ft/ passed /p:st/ washed /wot/

/ /watch

watched /wott/

/d/
If the verb base ends in all other sounds, which are voiced:
call called /k:ld/ phone phoned /fnd/ live play try lived /lvd/ played /pleid/ tr yed tried /traid/

Test Reunion (1)

Put the verbs in the gaps.
booked invited tried received visited watched travelled

TEST Reunion (2)

called greeted landed looked reached spotted started

Test Reunion (3)

appeared hugged kissed smiled wanted

Check the answers listening the mp3 attached to the email

Pronouncing the verbs

Now group the verbs according to the pronunciation of ed: appeared, booked, called, greeted, hugged, invited, kissed, landed, looked, reached, received, smiled, spotted, started, travelled, tried, visited, wanted, watched

/t /

/d/

/ d

10

Pronouncing the verbs TEST

Now group the verbs according to the pronunciation of ed: ending in t /d / id appeared, booked, called, greeted, hugged, invited, kissed, landed, looked, reached, received, smiled, spotted, started, travelled, tried, visited, wanted, watched

11

Pronouncing the verbs (key)

Answers

/t /
booked kissed looked reached watched

/d/
appeared called hugged received smiled travelled tried

/ d

greeted invited
landed spotted started visited wanted
12