Did you know that there are three different ways to say the „ed“ of words ending in -ed? It all depends on the sound of the last letter of the main word. Read on to find out how to pronounce words ending in -ed and improve your English pronunciation.
The three sounds of -ed
The -ed ending of regular simple past verbs, some adjectives, and some past participles have the following three sounds: /ɪd/ /t/ /d/. The last sound of the main word will determine which sound is used.
/ɪd/ sound
This sound adds an extra syllable to words ending in /t/ or /d/. Below are some examples of words with the /ɪd/ sound.
- accept = accepted /ækˈsɛptɪd/
- edit = edited /ˈɛdɪtɪd/
- heat = heated /ˈhitɪd/
- want = wanted /ˈwɔntɪd/
- avoid = avoided /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
- crowd = crowded /ˈkraʊdɪd/
- need = needed /ˈnidɪd/
- sound = sounded /saʊnd/
/t/ sound
The /t/ sound is used with words that end in unvoiced sounds (sounds which to not make your vocal cords vibrate). The exception is if the word ends in /t/, in which case you use the /ɪd/ sound. Some examples of these words are:
- laugh = laughed /læft/
- kiss = kissed /kɪst/
- rush = rushed /rʌʃt/
- stop = stopped /stɑpt/
- wash = washed /wɑʃt/
/d/ sound
The /d/ sound is used with words that end in voiced sounds (sounds which cause your vocal cords to vibrate) – except when the word ends in /d/. Below are some examples.
- call = called /kɔld/
- clean = cleaned /klind/
- close = closed /kloʊzd/
- live = lived /lɪvd/
- plan = planned /plænd/
Practice saying these words ending in -ed in sentences and look up other examples to continue to work on your pronunciation. You can also record yourself and compare your pronunciation to other English speakers or to an online source like a dictionary with sound recordings.