●Grammar & Sound
The 3 Pronunciations of -ED Past Tense Endings
Regular English past tense verbs always end in -ed, but are pronounced in three distinct ways: /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/ determined by vocal cord vibration.
1. Voiceless → /t/
After /p/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/. No extra syllable.
work → worked (/wɜːrkt/)
stop → stopped (/stɒpt/)
laugh → laughed (/læft/)
2. Voiced → /d/
After /b/, /g/, /v/, /z/, /m/, /n/, /l/, /r/, vowels. No extra syllable.
play → played (/pleɪd/)
live → lived (/lɪvd/)
call → called (/kɔːld/)
3. Ends in T or D → /ɪd/
Adds a whole new syllable so the past tense is audible!
want → wanted (/ˈwɒn.tɪd/)
need → needed (/ˈniː.dɪd/)
start → started (/ˈstɑːr.tɪd/)