Practice English Pronunciation: Past Simple–ed

Learners of English usually have significant problems with learning all the past tense rules and exceptions.  Elementary learners may struggle not only with grammar, but also with figuring out how to pronounce past tense forms correctly.  Normally, past tense is used to talk about a certain point or period in the past that is already completed.  In English, the suffix used to denote the past tense is –ed, which has three different manners of pronunciation depending on the root word it is attached to.  These realizations include the final sounds /t/, /d/ and /id/.

SEE ALSO: Contrasts in English Pronunciation: Voiced and Voiceless Consonants

Using /t/

The pronunciation of past simple tense is based on the final sound in the word.  This sound is the last sound speakers would hear if the -ed ending was not used.  If the word ends in an /f/, /k/, /sh/, /ch/, /p/ or /s/ sound, the –ed ending should be pronounced as a /t/.  The following words are examples of this.

Laughed /f/
Developed /p/
Washed /sh/
Watched /ch/
Crossed /s/
Liked /k/

Pronouncing –ed Endings with /d/

The final sound is pronounced /d/ when the last sound is a voiced sound:  /j/, /b/, /z/, /g/, /v/, /l/, /r/, /m/, /ng/ or /th/.  Some examples of these words include:

Rubbed /b/
Hugged /g/
Called /l/
Loved /v/
Used /z/
Banged /ng/
Hummed /m/
Cleaned /n/
Massaged /j/
Bathed /th/
Hired /r/
Judged /j/

The /d/ final sound is also used with any final vowel sounds like those found in the words “snowed,” “stayed,” “argued,” “agreed” and “died.”

The Final Sound /Id/

The last way to pronounce the –ed ending is with the /Id/ sound.  This final sound is used after /t/ or /d/ sounds.  The word “acted” ends in a /t/ sound, so the –ed ending is pronounced /Id/.  The /Id/ sound is also used with the word “ended” because its last articulated sound is /d/.

Exceptions

When the following –ed words are used as adjectives, they are not pronounced in the normal manner.  They must be said with an /Id/ sound at the end.  These words include “ragged,” “dogged,” “learned,” “aged, “wretched,” “blessed,” “crooked,” “naked” and “wicked.”

By learning the correct pronunciations of the past simple tense form correctly, students can develop better English speaking skills.  There is no simple way to remember how each word should sound with an –ed ending.  To master past simple tense pronunciation, English language learners should spend some time memorizing these rules, which is greatly aided by practicing applying correct English pronunciation in real life.