The -ed ending is added to regular verbs in the past tense. There are three ways to pronounce this ending:

  1. /t/ – This is the most common pronunciation and is used when the verb ends in a voiceless consonant (e.g. stopped, passed, dressed).
  2. /d/ – This pronunciation is used when the verb ends in a voiced consonant (e.g. loved, played, needed).
  3. /id/ – This pronunciation is used when the verb ends in /t/ or /d/ (e.g. painted, waited, bidded).

Voiced vs Voiceless Consonants

Voiced and voiceless consonants refer to if the vocal chords vibrate when we speak. Voiced consonants are pronounced with the vocal cords vibrating, while voiceless consonants are pronounced without vocal cord vibration. If you put your hand over your throat and make the sound of a letter, you can tell if it is voiced or voiceless depending on if you feel your throat vibrate.

Here are some examples of voiced and voiceless consonants:

Voiced consonants:

  • b (as in “bed”)
  • d (as in “dog”)
  • g (as in “good”)
  • l (as in “love”)
  • m (as in “more”)
  • n (as in “now”)
  • r (as in “red”)
  • v (as in “very”)
  • w (as in “will”)
  • y (as in “yes”)

Voiceless consonants:

  • p (as in “pet”)
  • t (as in “top”)
  • k (as in “cat”)
  • f (as in “fun”)
  • s (as in “see”)
  • sh (as in “shoe”)
  • ch (as in “chip”)
  • th (as in “think”)