Past Simple: How to Say -ed Endings

1 How to Say -ed Endings

Most verbs in English are regular verbs. This means we add -ed to make Past Simple. For example: work becomes worked, and listen becomes listened. The spelling is easy to learn!

The spelling rules are simple. For most verbs, just add -ed. This means: work → worked, listen → listened. If the verb ends in -e, just add -d. This means: arrive → arrived, type → typed. If the verb ends in consonant + y, change y to i and add -ed. This means: study → studied. If the verb ends in one vowel + one consonant, double the consonant and add -ed. This means: plan → planned.

The -ed ending has three different sounds. This is very important! If you always say “id” for every regular verb, it sounds wrong. Many learners make this mistake. You need to learn which sound to use.

Verbs ending in -t, -te, -d, -de sound like /ɪd/. This means: wanted sounds like “won-tid”, and printed sounds like “prin-tid”. Verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -ss sound like /t/. This means: walked sounds like “walkt”, and crashed sounds like “crasht”. All other verbs sound like /d/. This means: arrived sounds like “arrivd”, and called sounds like “calld”.

Now listen to the audio. You will hear 19 verbs in Past Simple. Listen carefully to the -ed sound in each verb. Some verbs end with /t/, some end with /d/, and some end with /ɪd/. Try to notice the difference!

2 Recap: Past Simple -ed Sounds

Good work! Now you know how to spell and say regular past simple verbs. Remember the three sounds: /t/, /d/, and /ɪd/. Practice saying the verbs from the audio every day. This will help you speak more naturally and clearly when you talk about the past.