Helping students get a handle on the 3 sounds of the suffix -ed is an important part of teaching reading. This small bit can make a big difference in their reading fluency and spelling. Understanding that the addition at the end of words signals past tense but that the suffix has different pronunciations based on the base word it is attached to helps our learners develop stronger reading and writing skills.

One way to Write it 3 ways to say it

Teaching students the pronunciation of -ed endings may seem daunting, but it’s actually easy! Whenever a closed syllable word ends in <t> or <d>, pronounce the suffix as /id/. For any other words ending with an -ed added to its base form, simply have your student use either a single consonant sound such as /t/ and /d/.

Why are there 3 sounds of the suffix -ed?

It helps us quickly see the meaning

By carefully applying the -ed suffix to verbs, a native English speaker can quickly and accurately communicate that an action has taken place in the past. This consistent use of spelling helps our brains differentiate between present and past-tense words at a glance even though the pronunciation changes.

Word pronunciation changes over time

In the past, all words with the suffix -<ed> were likely pronounced with 2 syllables and the -<ed> saying /id/ like in beloved, or cursed in Shakespeare but over time it was easier just to say one syllable instead of two. So the pronunciation changed for most words but the written form did not.

The Rules are Simple

How the 3 sounds of the suffix -ed are Sorted

In Base Words that end in a <t> or <d> the suffix <-ed> says /id/

A select set of verbs remain consistently pronounced with a syllable /id/ for their past tense form. Think “planted,” “molded,” or words like “twisted” and “folded.” These words create quite the challenge to the mouth to double-voice the final consonant sounds as /d//d/, or even worse, /t///t/. As an alternate solution, we find that adding in letter e between these suffix endings creates a schwa sound which successfully adds another syllable – making it easier to say.

In Base Words ending in a voiced sound, the suffix <-ed> says /d/

In English, consonants are either voiced or unvoiced. You can tell a consonant is voiced by feeling your throat. If your vocal cords vibrate then a consonant is voiced. Take <b> and <p> for example. <B> is a voiced consonant and <P> is unvoiced. With young readers, I just say noisy and quiet. All vowels are voiced. So if a base word ends in a voiced consonant (e.g. /b/, /n/, /l/,/m/, /v/) then the suffix -<ed> says /d/. Examples would be called, burned, and rained.

In Base Words ending in an unvoiced sound, the suffix <-ed> says /t/

Lastly, if a base word ends in an unvoiced or quiet sound like /k/ /p/ /f/ then the suffix -ed will say the unvoiced /t/ sound. Examples would be: blessed, capped, and stuffed.

Why is this important to teach?

Average readers that are native English speakers can read the 3 sounds of the suffix -ed without too much problem. They may even be able to spell words with the suffix -ed correctly after a few phonics lessons

However, for students with learning disabilities and language struggles, careful teaching of the 3 sounds of the suffix -ed is helpful. These struggling readers often do not intuit the correct pronunciation from context. So knowing why the suffix -ed has 3 sounds makes a difference for these readers.

5 Tips for Teaching the 3 sounds of the suffix -ed

Have Students say all 3 sounds for the suffix -ed when practicing with sound cards or sheets.

As you review sounds with students have them say and write all 3 sounds for this suffix.

Have students read decodable passages with just the suffix saying /id/ first.

For students who struggle it is easiest to read the suffix -d as /id/. It just makes sense. It is also important if students are spelling with these that the base word is not changed by the doubling rule. So for dictation use verbs like “blended” or “melted” rather than “sledded” or “petted.”

Have students sort words according to the suffix sound.

Have students read and say the words clearly. This is especially important for students who struggle with language and for English Language Learners. You may need to talk about voiced and unvoiced sounds and base words here if students are struggling.

Have students read decodable stories with all 3 sounds of the suffix -ed

Once students are more confident with the concept then introduce reading all 3 sounds of the suffix -ed in connected text. Have them highlight the words in the story and then sort them by writing them in 3 separate columns.

Have students write the words alone and in sentences in dictation.

When doing dictation mix things up a bit and give your students words with the suffix -ed and the suffix -ing so you can discuss the meaning of the suffix. Students will often spell things correctly right in the lesson but then will spell “jumped” as “jumpt” later. Stress the fact that the suffix is used to convey the meaning of the past tense.

In conclusion, teaching the 3 sounds of the suffix -ed is important for struggling readers and English Language Learners. Knowing why the 3 sounds exist helps them to better understand why a spelling looks like it does. The 5 tips provided can help teachers make sure their students are successful when decoding and encoding words with this suffix. It’s important that students not just learn the 3 sounds of the suffix -ed, but also understand when to use them to read and spell words accurately. With practice, students should become confident readers and spellers with this suffix.

FAQ: Why are there 3 sounds of the suffix -ed?

The suffix -ed has 3 sounds because of how base words end. Base Words that end in a /t/ or /d/ sound the suffix <-ed> says /id/. Examples would be: folded, and trotted.

When Base Words end in a voiced sound like (/b/,/n/, or /g/) the suffix <-ed> says /d/. Examples would be: trained, stormed, and begged

When Base Words end in an unvoiced s sound like /k/ /p/ /f/ then the suffix -ed will say the unvoiced /t/ sound. Examples would be: blessed, capped, and stuffed.