Speaking: Pronunciation A2 - Lesson 2
Pronouncing -ed Past Tense Endings (/t/, /d/, /ɪd/)
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to correctly pronounce the three different sounds of "-ed" endings for regular past tense verbs.
The Three Sounds of "-ed"
When we use a regular verb2 in the past tense1, we add "-ed". However, this ending is almost never pronounced "ed". It has three possible sounds. A very common mistake for learners is to pronounce every "-ed" as a full syllable, but this is only correct for one of the three sounds!
| The Sound | When to Use It | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| /t/ | After voiceless sounds like /p/, /k/, /s/, /f/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/ | helped, looked, washed, watched |
| /d/ | After voiced sounds like /b/, /g/, /v/, /z/, /l/, /m/, /n/ and all vowel sounds | played, lived, called, opened |
| /ɪd/ (adds a syllable) | Only after /t/ and /d/ sounds | wanted, needed, decided, started |
Vocabulary Glossary
- Past Tense (Noun) | អតីតកាល | A verb tense used to talk about actions that happened in the past. ↩
- Regular Verb (Noun) | កិរិយាស័ព្ទទៀងទាត់ | A verb that forms its past tense by adding "-ed". ↩
- voiceless sound (Noun) | សំឡេងអឃោសៈ | A sound made with only air (e.g., /p/, /k/, /s/). ↩
- voiced sound (Noun) | សំឡេងឃោសៈ | A sound that makes your throat vibrate (e.g., /b/, /g/, /l/). ↩
Pronunciation Focus: The "-ed" Pronunciation Rule
The rule for pronouncing "-ed" is the same as the rule for "-s" endings. It depends on whether the final sound of the verb is voiceless3 or voiced4.
- After a voiceless sound (like /p/ in 'help'), the "-ed" sounds like /t/. (e.g., helpt)
- After a voiced sound (like the vowel in 'play'), the "-ed" sounds like /d/. (e.g., playd)
The Special Rule: If the verb already ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound (like 'want' or 'need'), we MUST add an extra syllable /ɪd/ so we can hear the past tense ending. (e.g., want-id, need-id).
Putting It All Together in Sentences
Listen to these sentences and notice the different ending sounds.
- Yesterday, I walked /t/ to the market and looked /t/ at the clothes.
- We played /d/ football and listened /d/ to music all evening.
- I wanted /ɪd/ to go, but I decided /ɪd/ to stay home.
Practice the Sounds
Activity 1: Sort the Past Tense Verbs
Read the past tense verbs below. In which column does each word belong based on its final sound?
Words: asked, lived, started, watched, opened, hated, finished, called
- /t/ sound: asked, watched, finished
- /d/ sound: lived, opened, called
- /ɪd/ sound: started, hated, decided (Note: 'decide' ends in a /d/ sound)
Activity 2: Which Sound Do You Hear?
Listen to the audio guide. I will say a sentence. You decide if the "-ed" sound was /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/.
- Sentence 1: "She ______ a new car." (I will say "needed") -> Sound: /ɪd/
- Sentence 2: "They ______ late last night." (I will say "worked") -> Sound: /t/
- Sentence 3: "It ______ a lot yesterday." (I will say "rained") -> Sound: /d/
Your Pronunciation Mission
This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to practice past tense sounds.
Think about three things you did yesterday. Write them down using regular past tense verbs. For example, "I walked to school. I listened to my teacher. I started my homework." Practice saying the sentences aloud and focus on making the correct ending sound for each verb.