Past Simple Regular Verbs
in American English
Master the -ed ending pronunciation so you sound natural and confident when talking about the past.
Past Simple -ed Cheat Sheet
The 3 Rules for -ed Pronunciation
1. Ends with voiced sound → /d/ (no extra syllable)
Verbs ending in voiced sounds (b, g, l, m, n, ng, th, r, v, w, y, z) add a /d/ sound.
Examples: robbed, pulled, belonged, saved, enjoyed
2. Ends with voiceless sound → /t/ (no extra syllable)
Verbs ending in voiceless sounds (p, k, f, sh, ch, s, th, x) add a /t/ sound.
Examples: flipped, rushed, watched, mixed
3. Ends with /d/ or /t/ → /ɪd/ (extra syllable)
Verbs ending in /d/ or /t/ add an extra syllable /ɪd/.
Examples: accepted, avoided, expanded, needed
Practice Tip
Listen to the video, study the cheat sheet, then record yourself saying 10 regular verbs in the past. Compare to native speakers on YouGlish.
Focus on the rhythm — Americans link words together in natural speech.
