The -ed ending of regular past tense verbs and past participles is pronounced in three different ways: /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/. The correct pronunciation depends entirely on the final sound of the base verb — not the spelling. Mastering this gives speech a much more natural rhythm.
Practice
How is the -ed in "washed" pronounced?
Which word has the -ed pronounced /ɪd/?
Put these past tense verbs in the correct group — /t/ sound:
Which word has two syllables when said aloud?
"Started" hassyllables.
Put the words in the correct order to complete the rule:
How is the -ed in "played" pronounced?
"Needed" hassyllables.
Put these past tense verbs in the correct group — /d/ sound:
Which word's -ed is pronounced the same as "cooked"?