How to Pronounce -ed in English
The past simple tense and past participle of all regular verbs end in -ed. For example:
base verb
(v1) |
past simple
(v2) |
past participle
(v3) |
| work |
worked |
worked |
In addition, many adjectives are made from the past participle and so end in -ed. For example:
- I like painted furniture.
The question is: How do we pronounce the -ed?
The answer is: In 3 ways - / Id/ or / t/ or / d/
| If the base verb ends in one of these sounds: |
example base verb*: |
example
with -ed: |
pronounce
the -ed: |
extra syllable? |
| unvoiced |
/t/ |
want |
wanted |
/ Id/ |
yes |
| voiced |
/d/ |
end |
ended |
| unvoiced |
/p/ |
hope |
hoped |
/ t/ |
no |
| /f/ |
laugh |
laughed |
| /s/ |
fax |
faxed |
| /S/ |
wash |
washed |
| /tS/ |
watch |
watched |
| /k/ |
like |
liked |
| voiced |
all other sounds,
for example... |
play |
played |
/ d/ |
| allow |
allowed |
| beg |
begged |
* note that it is the sound that is important, not the letter or spelling. For example, "fax" ends in the letter "x" but the sound /s/; "like" ends in the letter "e" but the sound /k/.
Exceptions
The following -ed words used as adjectives are pronounced with /Id/:
| 
