Correct pronunciation of grammatical endings is extremely important for correct pronunciation. In American English the past tense “ed” has three different sounds.
These sounds are: /d/ as in the word “loved”, /ed/ as in the word “wanted” and /t/ as in the word “stopped”.
Rule 1
The past tense “ed” is pronounced as /ed/ in words ending with the sounds /t/ and /d/.
For example: wait/ed/ and decid/ed/. This /ed/ adds an extra syllable to the word so it is easy to hear.
Rule 2
The past tense “ed” is pronounced as /t/ in words ending with the sounds /k/,/s/, /f/, /p/, /sh/, and /ch/.
For example: kiss/t/, stopp/t/ and push/t/. The /t/ sound is made by touching the tip of your tongue to the gum ridge behind your front teeth.
Rule 3
The past tense “ed” is pronounced as /d/ after all other sounds. The /d/ sound is also made by touching the tip of your tongue to the gum ridge behind your front teeth. Your vocal chords should vibrate when you say the /d/ sound.
I always teach my students how to make these sounds correctly. That’s because when you pronounce the “ed” incorrectly your speech will be accented. It may even mark you as uneducated!
I teach more about American English consonant sounds in my video lesson called American English Consonant Sounds.
Thu, Apr 16, 2009
Accent Reduction Tips & Techniques