Pronunciation is an important part of learning any language . . . but where to start? And how to practice? CISL teachers agree that one common mistake students from any language make is the pronunciation of “ed” endings on English verbs. It is a great thing for students of any level to practice in order to improve English pronunciation skills.

The “ed” ending is added to regular verbs in the past tense:

walk –> walked

talk –> talked

dropped –> dropped

paint –> painted

cover –> covered

 

Try saying these words aloud. Did you notice something? In English, the pronunciation of the “ed” ending can be several different sounds: t, d, or id.

walk –> walked (t)

talk –> talked (t)

dropped –> dropped (d)

paint –> painted (id)

cover –> covered (d)

The pronunciation of the “ed” depends on the ending letter of the verb.

 

“T” sound

The “t” sound is made when verbs end in the following letters:

K, S, Ch, Sh, F, P

walked

passed

touched

stopped

hushed

finished

laughed

Note  that laugh ends in “gh,” which is not on the list. However, the “gh” in “laugh” makes the “f” sound, so the rule applies to this word as well.

“ID” sound

The “id” sound is made when verbs end in the following letters:

T, D

wanted

started

intended

decided

recommended

suggested

 

“D” sound

The “id” sound is made when verbs end in any of the remaining letter. They include:

A, B, E, G, H, I , J, L, M, N, O, Q, R, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

played

grabbed

laughed

calmed

called

enjoyed

loved

 

It’s that simple! Remembering the letters that make the “T” and “ID” sounds will be easy; then, simply remember that everything else makes the “D” sound. Let’s practice!

 

Practicing “ed” pronunciation

The following is a paragraph about hiking in the Bay Area. (For more information on hikes around San Francisco, check out our article on some really great trails that take 1-3 hours to hike.)

Crissy Field
The Crissy Field hike is a fun, urban-meets-nature adventure in SF! Check out our article on SF hikes for more great hiking suggestions. 

Try reading the paragraph below aloud. Which of the three sounds do each of the past tense verbs make?

My roommate and I have hiked many of the trails in and around San Francisco. The first trail that we ever hiked was Angels Island. We walked for less than one hour before we started getting really thirsty, so we sat for a while and enjoyed the view of the Bay and relaxed before we continued our hike. It was so much fun! The next hike that we attempted was the Batteries to Bluffs trail. During the hike, we climbed SO many stairs! When we got tired, we took breaks and sat and watched the dogs playing on the beach. The third hike we tried was in Briones Regional Park. We loved walking around the rolling hills! We found an archery course and practiced some archery: I pretended that I was in The Hunger Games. (Kidding!) When I thought about all the hiking we have done, I realized that hiking brought my roommate and I closer together. Before we started hiking, we didn’t talk much about our personal lives: now, she is like a sister to me. I can’t wait to go on more hikes with her in the future. 

 

Did you correctly pronounce all of the words? Let’s see!

Angel Island view
Another great SF hike is Angel Island. For more information on this hike and how to get to the island via ferry, click here.

My roommate and I have hiked many of the trails in and around San Francisco. The first trail that we ever hiked (T) was Angels Island. We walked (T) for less than one hour before we started (ID) getting really thirsty, so we sat for a while and enjoyed (D) the view of the Bay and relaxed (D) before we continued (D) our hike. It was so much fun! The next hike that we attempted (ID) was the Batteries to Bluffs trail. During the hike, we climbed (D) SO many stairs! When we got tired, we took breaks and sat and watched the dogs playing on the beach. The third hike we tried (D) was in Briones Regional Park. We loved (D) walking around the rolling hills! We searched (T) for a while before we found an archery course and practiced (D) some archery: I pretended (ID) that I was in The Hunger Games. (Kidding!) When I thought about all the hiking we have done, I realized (D) that hiking brought my roommate and I closer together. Before we started (ID) hiking, we didn’t talk much about our personal lives: now, she is like a sister to me. I can’t wait to go on more hikes with her in the future.