I will never forget a conversation I had with a young couple from Brazil 18 years ago. They had both passed the TOEFL test and the graduate exam GRE. They were waiting to start their first semester and had been in my city for about a month. Our first meeting, they told me-“Matt we don’t need grammar or vocabulary. Our English for studying is good. Our problem is that we don’t understand Americans when they are talking fast.
One part of that problem is the sounds the ED ending make for the past tense of verbs. The ED ending can make three different sounds, a T sound, what I call a lazy D sound, and an extra syllable ID sound. So here is a list I give to my students in my evening class. There is a video at the end that you can watch to help you practice.
Sounds of the ED ending
Verbs that end with ce, ch, f, gh, k, p, s, sh, and x make a T sound with the ED ending.
Placed Sliced
Watched Switched
Stuffed Bluffed
Coughed Laughed
Talked Worked
Stopped Clapped
Kissed Guessed
Washed Pushed
Fixed Boxed
Verbs that end with b, g, ge, l, m, n, r, ve, w, y, and z make a lazy d sound.
Rubbed Grabbed
Hugged Bagged
Judged Enraged
Pulled Enrolled
Hummed Steamed
Burned Listened
Cheered Roared
Loved Saved
Bowed Sewed
Played Enjoyed
Buzzed Blazed
Only words that have a final sound of t or d have the extra ID sound for the ED ending.
Wanted Greeted
Hated Debated
Needed Weeded
Decided Coded