Past Tense - Regular Verbs - Pronunciation
The past tense verbs in English with an -ed ending are pronounced in three different ways : [t] [d] or [Id] . For example, if I say the past tense verb “ walked “, as in, “I walked away,” what is the last sound that you hear in the verb? “Walk ed ” [wak t ] 1) The -ed verb ending sounds like a [t], “Walked” [wakt], even though it ends in the letter “d”. What do you hear when I say: “smell ed “, as in, “it smell ed bad.” 2) The -ed verb ending sounds like a [d]: “smelled” [smeld] And when I say, “visited”, as in “I visited New York City”, how did I pronounce that “-ed” ending? [Id] [vizitid]. 3) The -ed verb ending sounds like [ ɪ d], [vizitid]. This lesson teaches you the three rules that explain the differences in past tense verb “-ed” pronunciation. But don’t be surprised if most Americans can’t explain these rules to you! The truth is, Americans make these changes in sound without even noticing. Intro | Why the Sound Changes Place your fingertips on the front of your nec