How to Pronounce 'ed' at the end of a verb
It's difficult to know how to pronounce 'ed' in English, because it's pronounced in three different ways. It depends on the letter before:
The three ways are:
- 1: 'id' (like in painted 'paint-id')
- 2: 'd' (like in 'played')
- 3: 't' (like in 'hoped')
The most important thing to remember is this:
If the verb has a 'd' or a 't' sound before 'ed' you need to pronounce 'id'. If it doesn't, don't pronounce an extra syllable.
Be careful! It's the sound, not the letter: 'decide' is pronounced 'decide-id' even though it ends in 'e', because we don't say the 'e', so the last sound is 'd'.
So for example:
- wanted (want-id)
- ended (end-id)
- decided (decide-id)
- admitted (admit-id)
- suggested (suggest-id)
- recommended (recommend-id)
- hated (hate-id)
- intended (intend-id)
- started (start-id)
If the word before 'ed' ends in the sounds 'p', 'f', 's', 'ch', 'sh', 'k', then 'ed' is pronounced 't': So:
- 'p' stopped
- 'f' laughed
- 's' promised
- 'ch' watched
- 'sh' finished
- 'k' walked
For all other words, 'ed' is pronounced 'd':
- allowed
- cried
- enjoyed
- cleaned
- imagined
Leave how to pronounce 'ed' and go to the past simple tense
