1.

PRONUNCIATION OF “ED” IN REGULAR VERBS

The final ‘ed’ in the past tense of regular verbs takes three different pronunciations:

a.- When ‘ed’ is added to a verb ending in an unvoiced consonant (p, t, f, k, s, etc.) ,
the final ‘d’ is pronounced ‘t’.

b.- When ‘ed’ is added to a verb ending in a voiced consonant (b, d, v, g, z, l, etc.) or
in a vowel sound, the final ‘d’ is pronounced ‘d’.

Write ‘t’ or ‘d’ to show the pronunciation of the ‘ed’ in each word.

1.- lived __________ 22.- boiled __________

2.- picked __________ 23.- finished __________
3.- jumped __________ 24.- burned __________
4.- placed __________ 25.- filled __________
5.- hurried __________ 26.- passed __________
6.- rushed __________ 27.- excused __________
7.- smoked __________ 28.- mailed __________
8.- killed __________ 29.- slipped __________
9.- looked __________ 30.- liked __________
10.- dropped __________ 31.- used __________
11.- turned __________ 32.- changed __________
12.- crossed __________ 33.- worked __________
13.- entered __________ 34.- studied __________
14.- stopped __________ 35.- talked __________
15.- earned __________ 36.- spelled __________
16.- knocked __________ 37.- thanked __________
17.- saved __________ 38.- washed __________
18.- played __________ 39.- poured __________
19.- wished __________ 40.- walked __________
20.- showed __________ 41.- pulled __________
21.- closed __________ 42.- tried __________
2. PRONUNCIATION OF “ED” IN REGULAR VERBS
In regular verbs ending in t or d, the ‘ed’ is pronounced as a separate syllable.
count - counted wait-waited land-landed
When we add ‘ed’ to regular verbs of one syllable not ending in t or d, they are
pronounced as one syllable.
live-lived close-closed cross-crossed

Pronounce the following past tense forms. Then write the number 1 or 2 to show
whether the word is pronounced as a word of one syllable or as a word of two
syllables.

1.- ended __________ 21.- rushed __________

2.- watched __________
3.- counted __________
4.- stayed __________
5.- needed __________
6.- called __________
7.- seemed __________
8.- planned __________
9.- waited __________
10.- washed __________
11.- wanted __________
12.- walked __________
13.- pushed __________
14.- spelled __________
15.- planted __________
16.- cleaned __________
17.- asked __________
18.- pointed __________
19.- moved __________
20.- shopped __________
22.- parted __________
23.- cooked __________
24.- rented __________
25.- lived __________
26.- shared __________
27.- lasted __________
28.- closed __________
29.- helped __________
30.- landed __________
31.- used __________
32.- hoped __________
33.- handed __________
34.- crossed __________
35.- signed __________
36.- earned __________
37.- painted __________
38.- dropped __________
39.- burned __________
40.- laughed __________
 Worksheet: Azar: Understanding and Using English Grammar, Chart 6-1

Pronunciation of Final /-s/ and /-es/

1. The /s/ at the end of a word preceded by a voiced sound is pronounced /z/.

2. The /s/ at the end of a word preceded by a voiceless sound is pronounced /s/.

Voiced Sounds
a, e, i, o, u b d g j l m
n r v w x y *z

Voiceless Sounds
c f h k p
q *s t *ch *sh
*see below

Try these words. Determine if the /s/ at the end of these words sounds like
/z/ or /s/.

1. downpours
2. reservations
3. payments
4. symptoms
5. heights
6. slayings
7. statistics
8. struggles
9. musicians
10. arrives
11. casinos
12. attends
13. pickups
14. incorporates
15. claims
16. please

*Additionally, when the /-es/ comes after the /s/, /z/, and the following
combinations, /sh/, /ch/, /ss/, /ge/, and /dge/, the pronunciation of the last
syllable is /əz/. Try these examples:

1. judges
2. stages
3. watches
4. classes
5. washes

Myra M. Medina, Miami Dade College