{"id":74702,"date":"2021-04-12T12:47:37","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T12:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/?p=74702"},"modified":"2022-12-16T11:41:22","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T11:41:22","slug":"how-to-pronounce-the-ed-sound-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/how-to-pronounce-the-ed-sound-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pronounce the \u201ced\u201d Sound in English: Ultimate Tips, Plus Exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whenever we use the past tense in English, we need to make the -ed<\/strong> sound. This can be a tricky sound for any non-native English speakers, since there are three different ways to pronounce it. I know I have struggled with making this sound for a long time, but I can guarantee you this blog post will help you understand more about the pronunciation of this important sound in the English language. Keep reading for ultimate tips and exercises! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick recap: past tense and regular verbs <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The -ed<\/em> sound is commonly heard when we talk about the past. In order to make a sentence in the past, we need to change the verb to its past form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can divide the verbs into two categories: regular verbs and irregular verbs. When it comes to regular verbs, there are a few rules you need to pay attention to. For the irregular verbs, you need to memorize the past form of the verb \u2014 I know it sounds complicated, but you will use them so much that eventually you will know them by heart. Irregular verbs don\u2019t end in -ed<\/em>, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular verbs <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the regular verbs, such as cook, clean, wash, like, and stop<\/em>, here are the rules you need to follow. The general rule is to add -ed<\/em> to the base form of the verb. Examples: watched, played, cleaned.<\/em>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the base form of the verb ends in -e<\/em>, such as like and arrive, we need to add -d<\/em> to the verb in order to make the past. Examples: liked, arrived.<\/em>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For verbs which end in consonant +y<\/em>, such as try<\/em> and study<\/em>, we need to drop the -y<\/em> and add -ied<\/em> to the base form of the verb. Examples: studied, tried<\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"girl
She studied<\/strong> for the test.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For verbs which end in CVC (consonant-verb-consonant), we need to add -ed<\/em> to the base form of the verb. Examples: stopped, robbed.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adjectives <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Besides the past form of the verbs, we also hear the -ed<\/em> sound in English in some adjectives, such as tired<\/em>, excited<\/em>, relaxed<\/em>, and embarrassed<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we pronounce the \u201ced\u201d sound? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three ways to pronounce the -ed<\/em> sound. Sometimes it sounds like \/id\/<\/strong>, sometimes it sounds like \/t\/<\/strong>, and sometimes it sounds as \/d\/<\/strong>. Let\u2019s go over each one of them! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \/id\/ sound <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s use an example to explain this. Take the word wanted<\/em>, for instance. Wanted<\/em> is the past form of the verb want<\/em>. Want ends with the letter -t<\/em>, so the -ed<\/em> is pronounced as a separate syllable. This syllable has an \/id\/<\/em> sound, similar to the sound we make when saying the word k<\/em>id<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rule here is: if the last letter or the word is -t<\/em> or -d<\/em>, we will pronounce the -ed<\/em> as \/id\/. <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some other examples of words that end with -t<\/em> and their past forms, to which we need to add -ed<\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • wait \/ waited <\/li>
  • accept \/ accepted <\/li>
  • frost \/ frosted <\/li>
  • point \/pointed <\/li>
  • suggest \/ suggested <\/li>
  • start \/ started <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Listen to the words above:<\/p>\n\n\n\n