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.)
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!
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.