ESL Grammar: PAST TENSE (2) – Pronunciation

The Three Pronunciations of “ed”

The “ed” ending in regular past tense verbs can be pronounced in three different ways: /t/, /d/, and /ɪd/. Understanding when to use each pronunciation will improve your fluency and help you sound more natural when speaking English.

ESL Grammar: Pronunciation Rules

1. /t/ Sound

The “ed” is pronounced as /t/ when the verb ends in an unvoiced sound (except for /t/). Unvoiced sounds do not use the vocal cords.

Examples:

• hoped
• kissed
• worked

2. /d/ Sound

The “ed” is pronounced as /d/ when the verb ends in a voiced sound (except for /d/). Voiced sounds use the vocal cords.

Examples:

• loved
• called
• played

3. /ɪd/ Sound

The “ed” is pronounced as /ɪd/ when the verb ends in /t/ or /d/.

Examples:

• needed
• waited
• wanted

The English grammar lesson below introduces pronunciation of regular past tense verbs (verb + ed) in a clear and simple manner that is easy for beginner English learners to understand. Our series of ESL grammar lessons on subjects and verbs introduce these concepts and reinforce them through helpful and instructive exercises.

This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on basic English tenses (present tense, present continuous tense, past tense, future tense) in our comprehensive, beginner-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 2: Tenses).