How to Pronounce Words that End with -ed

How to Pronounce Words that End with -ed

The Two(2) General Rules

Rule #1

The -ed form and the non-ed form have the same number of syllables.

Here is an example.

enjoy (non-ed form) has 2 syllables.

enjoyed (ed form) has 2 syllables

The non-ed form and the -ed form have the same number of syllables.

Rule #2

The -ed form sounds like "duh" at the end.

Here is an example.

enjoyed (-ed form) sounds like enjoyd

The -ed form ends with a "duh" sound, a / d/ sound.

Oh! And remember most ED words follow Rule #1 and Rule #2, however the most frequently used ED words seem to be exceptions.

Here are many examples that follow Rule #1 and Rule #2.

Non-ed Form	ED form
apply	applied
bully	bullied
call	called
dye	dyed
hug	hugged
lunge	lunged
memorize	memorized
oppose	opposed
propose	proposed
slam	slammed
follow	followed
continue	continued

Now you know the two (2) general rules about how to pronounce words that end with -ed. Use these two (2) rules for ALL words that end with -ed except...

Now let's talk about the exceptions to Rule #1!

Do you remember Rule #1? Good. The -ed form and the non-ed form have the same number of syllables.

Well for non-ed form,that end with a /d/ sound or a /t/ sound, their -ed form has an extra syllable!

Here are many examples.

Non-ed form ends with / d/ or /t / (number of syllables)	One more additional syllable in the -ed form (number of syllables)
succeed ( 2)	succeeded ( 3)
exploit ( 2)	exploited ( 3)
interrupt ( 3)	interrupted ( 4)
applaud ( 2)	applauded ( 3)
delete ( 2)	deleted ( 3)
lift ( 1)	lifted ( 2)
elevate ( 3)	elevated ( 4)
dictate ( 2)	dictated ( 3)
divide ( 2)	divided ( 3)
subtract ( 2)	subtracted ( 3)
compete ( 2)	competed ( 3)
complete ( 2)	completed ( 3)
add ( 1)	added ( 2)
rent ( 1)	rented ( 2)
collide ( 2)	collided ( 3)
explode ( 2)	exploded ( 3)
trust ( 1)	trusted ( 2)

Now let's talk about the exceptions to Rule #2!

Do you remember Rule #2? Good. The -ed form sounds like "duh" at the end.

Well for non-ed words that end with one of these sounds--/ k/ / p/ / s / / ch/ / sh/ / f/ -- their -ed form souds like /t/, not "duh" Don't change the number of syllables. Just change the souind at the end!

Here are some examples

Non-ed form ends with one of These Sounds / k/ / p/ / s / / ch/ / sh/ / f/	-ed form sounds like one of these sounds at the end, not “duh” / kt/ / pt/ / st / / cht/ / sht/ / ft/
/ k/	/ kt/
like walk snack stack book suck duck	liked sounds like like + t walked sounds like walk + t snacked sounds like snack + t stacked sounds like stack + t booked sounds like book + t sucked sounds like suck + t ducked sounds like duck + t
/ p/ drop stop escape tape tap mop trap overlap slap	/ pt/ dropped sounds like drop + t stopped sounds like stop + t escaped sounds like escape + t taped sounds like tape + t tapped sounds like tap + t mopped sounds like mop + t trapped sounds like trap + t overlapped sounds like overlap + t slapped sounds like slap + t
/s/ dress erase face fence juice race	/ st/ dressed sounds like dress + t erased sounds like erase + t faced sounds like face + t fenced sounds like fence + t juiced sounds like juice + t raced sounds like race + t
/ ch/ approach attach patch stretch reach touch	/ ch/ approached sounds like approach + t attached sounds like attach + t patched sounds like patch+ t stretched sounds like stretc + t reached sounds like reach + t touched sounds like touch + t
/ sh/ brush wash extinguish astonish diminish finish accomplish	/ sht/ brushed sounds like brush + t washed sounds like wash + t extinguish sounds like extinguish+ t astonished sounds like astonish + t diminished sounds like diminish + t finished sounds like finish + t accomplished sounds like accomplish + t
/ f/ laugh cough golf stuff photograph	/ ft/ laughed sounds like laugh + t coughed sounds like cough + t golfed sounds like golf + t stuffed sounds like stuff+ t photographed sounds like photograph + t

Suggestion

I invented this one day spontaneously when I was teaching an English langauge class to a group of university students. Since that time hundreds if not thousands of people have benefited from this.

Memorize this sentence in order to memorize  k/ / p/ / s / / ch/ / sh/ / f/.

King Pepe said, "Children shouldn't fly."