Pronunciation of -ed in the Simple Past

Understand and practise the three possible pronunciations of the ending -ed in the simple past and past participle.

★ Pronunciation · Simple Past

1 Three possible pronunciations

In English, the ending -ed in the simple past and the past participle is not always pronounced the same way. There are three main pronunciations:

/d/ → waved
/t/ → walked
/ɪd/ (écrit /id/ pour simplifier) → visited
Good news: you do not need to learn long rules to be understood. With a simple strategy, you can usually find the correct pronunciation.

2 A simple strategy you can use

Here is a simple, practical method that will work in most cases:

Tip: Say the verb in the present, then add the sound at the end. For example: wave → wave + /d/ → waved.

3 Quick rule (for curious learners)

You can also use this quick rule to understand why the pronunciation changes:

  • /d/ after the other sounds (voiced): play → played, call → called, rob → robbed
  • /t/ after voiceless sounds like /p/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/: walk → walked, wash → washed, watch → watched
  • /ɪd/ after the sounds /t/ and /d/: want → wanted, decide → decided
Important: the spelling does not change, only the pronunciation changes.

★ Focus on listening

The best way to get used to the three pronunciations is to listen to English:

  • pay attention to how native speakers say verbs in the past,
  • repeat short sentences aloud,
  • record yourself and compare.

With time, your ear will recognise the correct sound naturally, and the simple strategy /d/ → /t/ → /ɪd/ will become automatic.