This post is going to teach you an important part of learning English – regular verbs pronunciation and how the ed changes depending on 3 specific rules.
English pronunciation isn’t the easiest because we don’t pronounce every spelling pattern the same way. This is especially true with the [ed] suffix. The problem comes mainly from the fact that English spelling of words often contain a silent [e]. Additionally, English pronunciation rules often change depending on whether the last sound is voiced or not.
What’s worse is that in many languages, you do pronounce every spelling pattern the same way. For example, where I teach in Poland, the Polish language pronounces every vowel, so when some of my students are reading aloud, they end up pronouncing the [e] in [ed] at times when they shouldn’t.
Therefore, the problem arises when you’re reading aloud.
In my video lesson (see below), I teach you the regular verbs pronunciation rules on the suffix-[ed] phonetically as it should be in English, then we’ll drill some examples together to give you some practice.
You can watch the video here, or scroll past the video to continue reading the explanations.
The 3 Regular Verbs Pronounciation Rules for ED Suffix
There are three ways to pronounce the [ed] suffix in English.
Each way is sound-based, where the last pronounced sound before the suffix-[ed], determines how the [ed]-sound is pronounced.
The 3 regular verb pronunciation rules are based on the last sound of the pronounced word being:
- Voiced last sound
- Unvoiced last sound
- D-last sound or T-last sound
Voiced Last Sound
A sound is voiced if it originates in your voice box – your throat. Just try holding your hands around your neck and say the last sound in these following verbs: Agr[ee], Complai[n], Trave[l]
I want you to feel the vibrations that your voice makes.
Now say the word and add the [ed] ending: Agr[eed], Complai[ned], Trave[lled]
You will have noticed that the [e] was silent, while the voiced end of the word links to the voiced-[d] sound.
For example, you have the hard-[g] and [d], so [g,d], as in beg -> begged.
Unvoiced Last Sound
If a voiced sound starts in your throat, the unvoiced sound is made only in your mouth. Again, notice the end sound to these example verbs: Li[ke], Confe[ss], Jin[x]
Feeling your throat when you make this sound, you don’t feel any vibration coming from your voice box.
Now say those words, adding the [ed] ending: Li[ked], Confe[ssed], Jin[xed]
It should sound like: Li[kt], Confe[sst], and Jin[xt]
Again, the [e] is silent, while the unvoiced consonant sound links to the unvoiced [t] sound.
When you think about it, the unvoiced [d] sounds like a [t]-sound.
D or T Last Sound
The third way to pronounce ED regular verbs is to pronounce the vowel sound in the [ed] -> so, it should sound like [id].
This pronunciation is used when the last sound is either a [d] or [t] sound. I say sound rather than letter because sometimes the last sound is [d] as in [trade] or [t] as in [invite]. Notice how the last letter of these words is just the silent [e]-sound at the end of the word.
Phonetic Voiced and Unvoiced Sounds
So, what phonetic sounds are voiced and unvoiced?
Let’s head over to the phonetic chart and I’ll give you a breakdown of the phonetically voiced sounds, and the unvoiced sounds.
Sum Up
So, there you have it – the three ways to pronounce ED regular verbs in English.
I would say this is one of the most important sounds to be able to pronounce properly because there are so many regular verbs that we use either in the past simple, all the perfect simple tenses, as well as with [ed]-Adjectives.
I wanted to give you a taste of these sounds and some rules for when to use each type of pronunciation. Now, this problem doesn’t occur as much in your spoken English, when you’re talking to somebody, but when you’re reading aloud.
The best way to avoid these mistakes is to practice. Read on to get my recommended resource to practice your reading. It might just surprise you 😉
Recommended Resource
As with anything you learn, practice makes perfect. One of the best ways to practice reading the ED regular verbs aloud is with a good storybook.
One that I use in my private teaching practice is the Disney 365 storybook. In it, you’ll find 365 1-page stories from the wide world of Disney stories and their characters.
What’s more, each story is loaded with direct and reported speech, and the kind of human interaction verbs you won’t get in an English language course book or exercise book.
Regular Verbs Pronunciation practice: Free Downloads
Here, you will find a complete list of verbs, organized by pronunciation group along with a roundup activity.
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Since you’re in the mood to learn the past simple verbs, why not head over to my post and video lesson, teaching an easy and efficient way to learn all the irregular verbs?
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