Today we're going to learn about the correct pronunciation

of ED at the end of words in English.

In English there are many words that end in –ED

There are regular verbs in the past tense

for example: wanted, helped, called.

There are regular past participles

needed, looked, cleaned

and they're also many adjectives that end in ED

for example infected, relaxed, closed.

Did you notice how the ED was pronounced in three different ways?

How is the ED pronounced in the first column?

wanted, needed, infected

The ED sounds like /id/

wanted, needed, infected

How is the ED pronounced in the second column?

helped, looked, relaxed

the ED sounds like a T or a /t/ sound

helped, looked, relaxed

How is the ED pronounced in the third column?

called, cleaned, closed

The ED sounds like a D or /d/

called, cleaned, closed

So why do you pronounce the ED at the end of words in three different ways?

Well first we need to learn about the difference between voiced sounds and voiceless sounds in English.

A VOICED sound means that it uses the vocal cords

and it produces a humming sound or a vibration here in your throat.

Put your fingers on your throat here and pronounce the letter L

You notice there's a vibration here in this part of your neck.

This is because it is a voiced sound.

A voiceless sound, sometimes called an unvoiced sound,

is when there's no vibration here and the sound comes from your mouth.

For example, if we pronounce the letter P

Where does this sound come from? It comes from the front of your mouth.

It doesn't come from here ... /p/ ... no it doesn't sound good.

/p/ from the front of your mouth

Now try this with the other letters and you'll feel the difference

between a voiced sound and an unvoiced sound.

For example .../sh/

the SH sound .../sh/ ... Where does it come from?

It comes from your mouth. It doesn't come from here, it comes from your mouth.

So it is a voiceless sound.

How about F .../f/... the F sound .../f/...

Where does the sound come from? Does it come here? .../f/... No, it comes from your mouth again.

So it is a voiceless sound.

How about the N sound the .../n/... /n/... sound.

You notice it vibrates a little here .../n/...

So N, the .../n/... sound is a voiced sound.

And the .../z/... sound the Z the .../z/... or the S sometimes .../z/...

It comes from here so it is a voiced sound.

Now we know the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds,

we can now look at the following rules about the correct

pronunciation of ED in English

If the last letter of the word ends in a T or D, like WANT or NEED

then the ED is pronounced as an .../id/... sound

wanted, needed

The .../id/... or the ED

adds an extra syllable to the word.

want (one syllable), wanted (two syllables)

need (one syllable), needed (two syllables)

So if the word ends in D or T

then you add the .../id/... sound to the end.

If the last letter of the word ends in a voiceless sound

like the P in help

Then the ED is pronounced as a .../t/... sound

so help becomes helped

It is important to know that we do not add an extra syllable

With the word help he say helped which is one syllable

and not "help-ed", two syllables that doesn't sound good

Let's go through the list and pay attention to the sound of the ED ending.

helped, looked, sniffed, laughed

the GH here is pronounced like an F so it is laughed

washed, watched, kissed, danced, fixed

They all end in a .../t/... sound

If the last letter of the word ends in a voiced sound

like the L in call

then the ED is pronounced as a .../d/... sound.

So call becomes called

Again it is important to remember that we do not add an extra syllable, no.

So the word call, we say called (one syllable)

and not "call-ed" which is two syllables and incorrect.

Let's go through the list and pay attention to the sound of the ED ending.

called, cleaned, offered, damaged, loved

used... here the S sounds like a .../z/... sound

used, amazed, rubbed

They all end in a D sound a .../d/... sound

Also, when a word ends in a vowel sound,

we use the voiced D or the .../d/... pronunciation for ED

play ends in a AY sound

so play becomes played

free becomes freed, try becomes tried,

follow becomes followed, continue becomes continued

So let's look at some example sentences.

Listen to the pronunciation of the words ending in ED.

I waited for two hours.

She kissed her baby.

It rained last night.

Now, if you said /rain-t/ instead of /rain-d/

people will understand you

if you pronounce it with a /t/ ending instead of a /d/ ending.

But if you say /rain-id/ with 2 syllables instead of /rain-d/ with one syllable,

then people will normally NOT understand you

It seems like a small insignificant thing

but it is the difference between people understanding you

or people having no idea what you're saying.

So remember it's important that the .../id/... sound with the extra syllable

is only after words ending in T or D

I hope this lesson helped you

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