One of the most common errors non-native speakers make is pronouncing the “-ed” ending wrongly. Sometimes -ed adds another syllable onto a word, sometimes it sounds like a /d/ and sometimes it sounds like a /t/. Knowing when to say it which way depends on the last sound of the base word that -ed is being added to, as well as 3 clear and simple rules for pronouncing the -ed ending.

When and why is -ed used at the end of words in English?

Before we get to the pronunciation of -ed, let’s remember that there are three main uses of the -ed ending, all very common:

1. to form the simple past
   • I worried about you.
   • She retired last year.
2. to form the passive tense
   • The news worried me.
   • That navy ship was retired in 1995.
3. to form adjectives
   • He had a worried expression on his face.
   • He was living a retired life in Spain.

The rules for pronouncing the -ed are the same for each of these uses.

Rule #1 for pronouncing the “-ed” ending

-ed = /ɪd/ after /d/ and /t/

It’s true that sometimes the -ed ending says /ɪd/ and adds a syllable to the base word. However, many non-native English speakers make the mistake of thinking that -ed adds another syllable every time. It doesn’t! (See rules #2 and 3 below.)

It’s important to note that the -ed ending ONLY makes an extra syllable when the base word ends with a /d/ or /t/ sound. When “-ed” is added to the end of a word after /d/ or /t/, the new final syllable of the word will normally sound like /dɪd/.

Consider the following base words that end with a /d/ sound:

• divide /dɪ vaɪd/ → divided /dɪ vaɪ dɪd/
  • The country was divided on the issue.
• land /lænd/ → landed /læn dɪd/ 
  • The plane landed an hour early.
• award /ə wɔːrd/ → awarded /ə wɔːr dɪd/ 
  • The Fellowship was awarded to a scholar from South Africa this year.
• grade /ɡreɪd/ → graded /ɡreɪ dɪd/  
  • The professor graded our final exams last weekend.

When the base word ends with a /t/ sound, adding -ed means we don’t pronounce the /t/ with it’s full puff of air. The /t/ at the end of the base word relaxes to sound more like a /d/. Most of the time, the final syllable of these words will also sound like /dɪd/:

• depart /dɪ pɑːrt/ → departed /dɪˈpɑːr dɪd/
  • The train to Rome departed on time.
• wait /weɪt/ → waited /weɪ dɪd/ 
  • We waited in line to buy tickets.
• create /kri eɪt/ → created /kri eɪ dɪd/ 
  • The teacher created a welcoming vibe in the classroom.
• separate /sɛ pə reɪt/ → separated /sɛ pə reɪ dɪd/  
  • His parents have been separated for the past few months.

NOTE: things are slightly different if the base word ends in /nt/.

If you’ve taken my pronunciation course, you’ll know that when the /t/ follows an /n/, sometimes we don’t say it at all in American English. We find this phenomenon again when we add the -ed ending to words that end in /nt/.

In this case, the syllable added to the word will sound like /ɪd/ or /tɪd/. Either of those options is correct, but pronouncing the last syllable as /dɪd/ is incorrect.

• want /wɑnt/ → wanted /wɑn ɪd/ or /wɑn tɪd/
• paint /peɪnt/ → painted /peɪn ɪd/ or /peɪn tɪd/
• print /prɪnt/ → printed /prɪn ɪd/ or /prɪn tɪd/
• fragment /ˈfræɡmənt/ → fragmented /fræɡˌmɛn ɪd/ or /fræɡˌmɛn tɪd/

Again, it’s important to remember that (with very, very few exceptions) the -ed ending ONLY makes an extra syllable when the base word ends with a /d/ or /t/ sound.

So what do we do in other cases?

Rule #2 for pronouncing the “-ed” ending

-ed = /t/ after voiceless sounds

When the base word ends in a voiceless sound, the -ed ending is pronounced in a voiceless way, as a full /t/ with a big puff of air.

A voiceless sound is a sound we make without vibrating our vocal chords. There are no voiceless vowels, but there are many voiceless consonants in English, including /p/, /k/, /s/, /f/, /θ/, /ʃ/, and /tʃ/.

When your base word ends with one of these voiceless sounds, adding the -ed ending does not add an extra syllable. Instead, the full /t/ is pronounced immediately after the last consonant sound. Don’t forget to make it a strong, full /t/ sound, with an obvious puff of air that your listener can hear.

• stop /stɔp/ → stopped /stɔpt/
  • That company stopped operating last year.
• walk /wɔk/ → walked /wɔkt/
  • We walked all the way around the lake yesterday.
• kiss /kɪs/ → kissed /kɪst/
  • She kissed her mother on the forehead.
• laugh /læf/  → laughed /læft/
  • He told a joke that nobody laughed at.
• tooth /tuθ/ → toothed /tuθt/
  • Saber-toothed cats were a top predator in the prehistoric world.
• wash /wɑʃ/ → washed /wɑʃt/
  • There is some freshly washed laundry to put away.
• watch /wɑtʃ/  → watched /wɑtʃt/
  • Artistic gymnastics were some of the most watched events at the 2021 Olympics.

To summarize, when the base word ends in a voiceless sound, the -ed ending is pronounced as /t/, which is also voiceless.

Rule #3 for pronouncing the “-ed” ending

-ed = /d/ after voiced sounds

When the base word ends with any voiced sound, then the -ed ending is pronounced in a voiced way, as a /d/.

In English, the voiced sounds include all the vowels and any consonant that includes a vibration of the vocal chords, such as /b/, /ɡ/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /v/, /ð/, /z/, /w/, /dʒ/, /r/, /l/. The /d/ sound is also a voiced sound.

When we add -ed to a base word that ends in a voiced sound, we don’t add an extra syllable; we simply add a /d/ immediately after the last sound in the base word.

Practice the words below.

Say -ed like /d/ after vowel sounds

• play /pleɪ/ → played /pleɪd/
  • We played football together at school.
• ski /ski/ → skied /skid/
  • Last Christmas we skied in Bulgaria for the first time.
• marry /mæri/ → married /mærid/
  • They finally got married last summer.
• cry /kraɪ/ → cried /kraɪd/
  • The baby was teething and cried all night.
• show /ʃoʊ/ → showed /ʃoʊd/
  • I already showed him the draft report.
• sue /su/ → sued /sud/
  • Doctors in the USA have malpractice insurance, in case they get sued.

Say -ed like /d/ after voiced consonants

• dub /dʌb/  → dubbed /dʌbd/
  • I watched a German series that was dubbed in English.
• bag /bæɡ/   → bagged /bæɡd/
  • That was the young man who bagged my groceries.
• hum /hʌm/ → hummed /hʌmd/
  • My dad always hummed along to any song that was on the car radio.
• burn  /bɜrn/  → burned /bɜrnd/
  • She put her hand on the hot stove and got burned.
• ring  /riŋ/   → ringed /riŋd/
  • Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are ringed planets.
• save  /seɪv/   → saved /seɪvd/
  • She saved bottlecaps and made jewelry from them.
• bathe /beɪð/ → bathed /beɪðd/
  • She bathed her baby in the kitchen sink.
• amaze /ə meɪz/  → amazed /ə meɪzd/
  • The kids were amazed by the magician’s tricks.
• tow /toʊ/ → towed /toʊd/
  • My car got towed away.
• judge /dʒʌdʒ/ → judged /dʒʌdʒd/
  • The teacher judged the science fair projects carefully.
• retire /rɪ taɪ ər/ → retired  /rɪ taɪ ərd/
  • He retired at age 50.
• call /kɔl/ →  called /kɔld/
  • I called my mom this morning.

To summarize, when the base word ends in a voiced sound, the -ed ending is pronounced as /d/, which is also a voiced sound.

Review: the 3 Clear Rules for Pronouncing the -ed Ending

1. -ed = /ɪd/ after /d/ and /t/ (like in branded, hated, warmhearted)
2. -ed = /t/ after voiceless sounds (like in talked, missed, reached)
3. -ed = /d/ after voiced sounds (like in changed, rained, admired)

Try saying these sentences outloud:

• The children laughed and shouted when their parents stopped and kissed each other.
  • laughed /læft/, shouted /ʃaʊ dɪd/, stopped /stɔpt/, kissed /kist/
• She changed after she retired, and no longer wanted to travel to the places we’d talked about visiting together.
  • changed /tʃeɪndʒd/, retired /rɪˈtaɪərd/, wanted /wɑn tɪd/ or /wɑn ɪd/, talked /tɔkt/
• I watched a movie where the villain created bombs that destroyed 3 cities.
  • watched /wɑtʃt/, created /kri eɪ dɪd/, destroyed /dɪ strɔɪd/

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