How to pronounce the final -ed in regular verbs.

3 Possible ways: /id/, /t/ or /d/

1. The /id/ sound

If the last letter of the word is spelled with D or T, the ED is pronounced as a separate syllable with an /id/ .

• wanted (sounds like "want-id")
• waited
• needed
• fold

2. The /t/ sound

If the last consonant of the word is voiceless (xorda), then the ED is pronounced as a T. Like in  “p”, “k”, “f”, “th”, “s”, “sh” and “ch”

• kissed (the S sound comes from the front of mouth so it would sound like "kisst")
• parked
• helped
• talked (sounds like "talkt")

NOTE: As an example, with the word "helped", if you say "help-id" as a two syllable word, then it is very likely that people will NOT understand the word or what you are saying. (It is pronounced like "helpt")

3. The /d/ sound

If the last letter of the words ends in a voiced (sonora) consonant b, g, v, z,  m, n, ŋ, l, r, s, w, y, z,and vowel sounds, then the ED is pronounced like a D

• played (sounds like "playd")
• closed (the S sounds like a vibrating Z so the word would sound like "clozd")
• opened
• lived

An easy way to remember how to pronounce ED words

The most important thing to remember is that there are two main divisions:

1. The words that end in T or D
   - the ED is pronounced as a syllable /id/
2. and the REST of the words
   - you can pronounce the ED as /t/ and people will understand.

In time you will learn when to pronounce the ED as /t/ or /d/.