-ed Endings: Three Sounds, One Spelling (A2/B1)
-ed Endings: Three Sounds, One Spelling (A2/B1)
🎙 From the classroom: My Bengali students in Brittany pronounced ‘worked’ as ‘work-ED’, adding a full syllable. My Korean student said ‘wok’. My French student said ‘workt’. All three had learned the same spelling. None had learned the three different sounds. This is the lesson that fixed it.
💡 The Idea
The -ed ending in Past Simple has THREE sounds: /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/ (an extra syllable). The rule depends on the final sound of the base verb. No extra syllable for /t/ and /d/ — they blend in. Only /ɪd/ adds a syllable — and only after /t/ or /d/.
🗣 Example
/t/ after voiceless sounds: looked, worked, stopped, kissed, watched, laughed
/d/ after voiced sounds: lived, learned, called, travelled, played, opened
/ɪd/ ONLY after t or d (adds syllable): wanted, needed, started, ended, visited
🎯 Try It Now!
Sort these verbs into three columns:
helped · loved · visited · missed · planned · waited · fixed · moved · decided · asked · opened · lasted
| /t/ | /d/ | /ɪd/ (extra syllable) |
|---|
✅ Check Your Answers
✅ /t/: helped, missed, fixed, asked | /d/: loved, planned, moved, opened | /ɪd/: visited, waited, decided, lasted. Tip: say the base verb out loud — can you feel if it ends in a voiced or voiceless sound? Your throat vibrates for voiced sounds.
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