Pronunciation of Past Tense Verbs

Following a lesson plan on the Simple Past tense (verb conjugation, form, and function), I usually also teach my private ESL students how to pronounce past tense verbs ending in “-ed,” although this isn’t always necessary. Some students have already learned correct pronunciation in their native countries, although there will usually be some problems. If the problems are consistent or serious, then I’ll do a pronunciation lesson right after the verb conjugation and usage lesson.

The most common mistake, and I think the most serious pronunciation problem, is always adding a second syllable for the “-ed” at the end of the past tense word. A second syllable is only required when the last sound (not the last letter) is a “t” or “d,” for example, “wanted,” “decided,” “needed.”

For regular verbs, the “-ed” ending has three different pronunciations: “t,” “d,” and “ed.”

Examples of /t/ endings for past tense verbs

“laugh” becomes “laughed” and is pronounced “laugh/t/” (one syllable)
“walk” becomes “walked” and is pronounced “walk/t/” (one syllable)
“kiss” becomes “kissed” and is pronounced “kiss/t/” (one syllable)
“finished” becomes “finished” and is pronounced “finish/t/” (two syllables)

Examples of /d/ endings for past tense verbs

“clean” becomes “cleaned” and is pronounced “clean/d/” (one syllable)
“dream” becomes “dreamed” and is pronounced “dream/d/” (one syllable)
“save” becomes “saved” and is pronounced “save/d/” (one syllable)
“enjoy” becomes “enjoyed” and is pronounced “enjoy/d/” (two syllables)
“marry” becomes “married” and is pronounced “marry/d/” (two syllables)

Examples of /ed/ endings for past tense verbs (this is the only ending that is pronounced with an additional syllable)

“want” becomes “wanted” and is pronounced “want/ed/” (two syllables)
“need” becomes “needed” and is pronounced “need/ed/” (two syllables)
“decide” becomes “decided” and is pronounced “decide/ed/” (three syllables)
“dedicate” becomes “dedicated” and is pronounced “dedicate/ed/” (four syllables)

Deciding when to use the “/ed/” pronunciation is pretty simple. The English as a Second Language student just needs to remember that this ending is used only for verbs ending with a “t” or “d” sound.

A lesson plan teaching the ESL student how to differentiate between verbs with a “/t/” sound ending and a “/d/” sound ending is a bit more difficult. Many students will think that it is just a matter of memorizing which letters at the end of the word take a “/t/” and which take a “/d/.” This will work for many verbs, but not all.

The better rule is to teach ESL students how to determine if the ending sound of the base verb is “voiced” or “voiceless.” The “ed” ending of voiceless sounds takes on a “/t/.” Voiced sounds take on a “/d/.” For more information on voicing, see Voiced and Voiceless Sounds.