PRONUNCIATION OF –ED

The regular past tense ending “-ed” can have three different sounds
in English, t, d, or id. The sound that comes before the –ed will
decide what sound the –ed will have.

id t d
D&T Unvoiced Voiced Sounds *
Sounds Example Sounds * Example and Vowels Example
a stayed
d needed f laughed
e hurried
t wanted k talked
i tried
p mopped
o slowed
s missed
u glued
x boxed
b grabbed
sh washed
g mugged
ch watched
j judged
l filled
m slammed
n planned
r scared
v saved
z closed
The final -ed is pronounced id The final -ed is pronounced like The final –ed is pronounced like
as in the word did. the t in cat. The -e is silent. the d in good. The -e is silent.

* Remember that the sound is important, not the letter. For example:
1) The letter s sounds like either /s/ or /z/. In the word “close,” it sounds like /z/ so the –ed sounds like
/d/, but in “miss,” it sounds like /s/, so the –ed sounds like /t/.

* Voiced sounds vibrate in the throat when you pronounce them. Unvoiced sounds do not vibrate in the throat.
 Past Tense Regular Verb Pronunciation
for the Most Common Verbs

-ED PRONOUNCED AS /ID/ -ED PRONOUNCED AS /D/

contacted landed advised

needed listened
counted agreed lived
decided painted allowed
planted loved
defended answered measured
demanded printed appeared
presented moved
divided arrived opened
ended pretended believed
protected planned
expanded belonged played
expected provided burned
rented performed
exported called pulled
flooded repeated carried
reported realized
graduated changed remembered
hated respected cleaned
rested rained
hunted closed repaired
included scolded covered
skated saved
invited cried shared
invented started damaged
shouted shaved
described showed
treated died
visited signed
dried slammed
waited earned
wanted stayed
encouraged snowed
wasted enjoyed studied
entered tried
explained traveled
-ED PRONOUNCED AS /T/ explored turned
filled used
asked laughed followed welcomed
baked locked happened whispered
brushed looked interviewed worried
cooked missed imagined yawned
cracked mixed jailed
crashed packed killed
danced passed
dressed picked
dropped pressed
escaped pushed
finished pronounced
fixed relaxed
guessed slipped
helped smoked
hoped stopped
hiked shopped
joked talked
jumped typed
knocked walked
kissed washed
watched
worked