Many English learners find it challenging to say ‘-ed’ ending in english and past participle forms of regular verbs.
What is your English level?
Find out your A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 level of English with our online test and receive your English certificate.
A significant number of English learners struggle with correctly pronouncing the ‘-ed’ ending in regular verbs’ past tense and past participle forms, such as ‘asked,’ ‘landed,’ or ‘explored.’
Let’s quickly review the verb forms:
V1 + ed = V2 or V3
Verb base past simple past participle
Examples:
Past Simple ask + ed = asked. She asked her husband where her book was.
Past Participle ask + ed = asked. Henry has asked her name.
Note that if the base verb ends with the letter “e,” only add “d” to form the past tense.
For example: like + d = liked
Are you C1 Advanced English?
Get your C1 Advanced English certificate now!
✓ Add your certificate to your resume
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
3 Rules for Pronouncing the –ed ending in English
- If the base verb ends in k, s, ch, sh, the, p, f(gh), then the –ed ending sounds like “t.”
For example, lik + ed is pronounced as lik-/t/; watch-ed is pronounced as watch-/t/; and laugh-ed is pronounced as laugh-/t/.
- If the base verb ends in t, d, then the –ed ending sounds like “id.”
For example, wait-ed is pronounced as wait-/id/; land-ed is pronounced as land-/id/.
- If the base verb ends in another letter, the –ed ending sounds like “d.”
For example, play-ed is pronounced as play-/d/; answer-ed is pronounced as answer-/d/; and burn-ed is pronounced as burn-/d/.
There are a few irregular verbs whose past tense forms also end in –ed. They follow the same rules as regular verbs. For example:
- Sew – sewed (sew/d/) – sewn
- Show – showed (show/d/) – shown
Practice pronouncing the –ed ending by reading and listening to English
Here’s a method for practicing the pronunciation of the ‘-ed’ ending:
- Print out a text where there are many words with the –ed ending.
- Over every verb, make a note of how to pronounce the –ed ending.
- Find an audio recording of the text
- Play the recording and listen to the correct pronunciation of the verbs you marked.
- Listen again and try to imitate the speaker, copying both the pace and intonation.
Try this method, and you’ll see that it works.
What is your English level?
Find out your A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 level of English with our online test and receive your English certificate.
I am Nilay, an experienced English Language Assessment Director at the International English Test, where I have been working full-time since February 2020. I specialize in helping people worldwide validate their English proficiency through comprehensive assessments and certifications.
Before joining the International English Test, I worked as a self-employed English Language Assessment Consultant from January 2015 to December 2019. During this time, I assisted companies and individuals in improving their language skills, helping them achieve their academic and professional goals.
I hold a degree in Engineering and have also studied at Shafston International College in Australia. My educational background has equipped me with the tools to make a meaningful impact in the field of English language learning. Additionally, I enjoy sharing my expertise through articles that explore effective teaching methods and language assessment strategies, contributing to the International English Test and the broader assessment community.
