Key points
- -ed has three sounds: /ɪd/ after /t/ and /d/ (wanted), /t/ after other voiceless sounds (stopped), and /d/ after voiced sounds (played).
- -s and -es also have three sounds: /ɪz/ after hissing sounds (buses), /s/ after other voiceless sounds (cats), and /z/ after voiced sounds (dogs).
- The rule depends on the last sound, not the last letter: laughed ends in /f/, so it is /lɑːft/.
- Only add an extra syllable for /ɪd/ and /ɪz/. Worked is one syllable: /wɜːkt/, not work-ed.
On this page
First: voiced and voiceless sounds
Both endings follow one idea. Put your fingers on your throat and say ssss, then zzzz. On /z/ you feel a buzz: it is voiced. /s/ has no buzz: it is voiceless.
| Voiceless (no buzz) | Voiced (buzz) |
|---|---|
| /p/ /t/ /k/ /f/ /θ/ /s/ /ʃ/ /tʃ/ | /b/ /d/ /ɡ/ /v/ /ð/ /z/ /ʒ/ /dʒ/ /m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /l/ /r/ |
| and every vowel sound |
The ending simply copies the voicing of the sound before it, which makes it easier to say. Remember: the rule is about the last sound, not the last letter.
The 3 sounds of -ed
/ɪd/: after /t/ and /d/ (adds a syllable)
Examples
wanted /ˈwɒntɪd/, needed /ˈniːdɪd/, started, decided, visited, added
/t/: after voiceless sounds /p/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/, /θ/
Examples
stopped /stɒpt/, looked /lʊkt/, laughed /lɑːft/, missed, washed, watched
/d/: after voiced sounds and vowels
Examples
played /pleɪd/, lived /lɪvd/, called, opened, changed, cleaned
The most common mistake is to say every -ed as a new syllable. Worked, asked and played have one syllable each: /wɜːkt/, /ɑːskt/, /pleɪd/.
-ed adjectives that break the rule
A few adjectives ending in -ed are always said with /ɪd/, even though the rule says /t/ or /d/. Some change pronunciation with their meaning.
| Word | As an adjective | As a verb |
|---|---|---|
| naked | /ˈneɪkɪd/ | (no verb) |
| wicked | /ˈwɪkɪd/ | (no verb) |
| crooked | /ˈkrʊkɪd/: not straight | /krʊkt/: bent a finger |
| learned | /ˈlɜːnɪd/: a learned professor | /lɜːnd/ |
| aged | /ˈeɪdʒɪd/: an aged parent | /eɪdʒd/: aged ten |
| beloved | /bɪˈlʌvɪd/ | /bɪˈlʌvd/ also heard |
The 3 sounds of -s and -es
The same rule covers plural nouns (cats), the third person verb (he works), the possessive 's (Mark's) and the short forms it's and he's.
/ɪz/: after the hissing sounds /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/ (adds a syllable)
Examples
buses /ˈbʌsɪz/, roses, wishes, watches, changes, garages
/s/: after the other voiceless sounds /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /θ/
Examples
cats /kæts/, books, stops, laughs, months /mʌnθs/
/z/: after voiced sounds and vowels
Examples
dogs /dɒɡz/, plays, calls, trees, cities, John's
Watch out for house /haʊs/ → houses /ˈhaʊzɪz/: the /s/ becomes /z/ in the plural. And says is /sez/, does is /dʌz/: the vowel changes too.
Quick check table
| Last sound of the base word | -ed | -s / -es |
|---|---|---|
| /t/ or /d/ | /ɪd/ | /s/ or /z/ |
| /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /tʃ/ /dʒ/ | /t/ or /d/ | /ɪz/ |
| Other voiceless: /p/ /k/ /f/ /θ/ | /t/ | /s/ |
| Other voiced and all vowels | /d/ | /z/ |
Frequently asked questions
How many ways can you pronounce -ed?
Three: /ɪd/ after /t/ and /d/ (wanted, needed), /t/ after other voiceless sounds (stopped, looked, washed), and /d/ after voiced sounds and vowels (played, lived, called).
When does -s sound like /z/?
After a voiced sound or a vowel, as in dogs, plays, trees and calls. After voiceless sounds like /p/, /t/, /k/ and /f/ it is /s/ (cats, books), and after /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/ or /dʒ/ it becomes /ɪz/ (buses, watches).
Is worked pronounced with two syllables?
No. Worked has one syllable, /wɜːkt/. Only verbs ending in a /t/ or /d/ sound get an extra syllable, such as wanted and needed.