Voicing -ed
Question:
On Monday I was explaining to my student when past tense verbs that end in -ed are one syllable and when they are two syllables. Specifically on the one syllable ones (work–>worked, plan–>planned, etc.), though, I had trouble explaining to her when the word ends in a “d” sound (like “planned”) and when it’s more of a “t” sound (worked).
Arley’s Answer:
Perennial question. Perennial answer:
If the base form of the verb ends in the sound “t” or “d” (as in want or need), the -ed is pronounced as a separate syllable: wantED, needED. If the verb ends in anything else, the -ed is not a separate syllable: helped (helpT), rained (rainD).
Refinement: Notice that “helped” ends in a “t” sound, while “rained” ends in a “d” sound. This is governed by the last sound of the base verb. If it is NOT voiced, as in “help” (there is no voicing on the consonant “p”), then the -ed is pronounced “t,” which is also voiceless. If it is the last sound of the base verb IS voiced, as in “rain” (the consonant “n” is voiced) then the -ed is pronounced “d”, which is also voiced. Neat, huh?
Practicalities: I used to spend a lot of time teaching the “d” and “t” pronunciations in the refinement above. The reality is that you want them to learn NOT to say things like “mashED potatoes” as two syllables. This is easily taught with the rule that if the verb ends in a “t” or a “d,” pronounce it as a syllable. If not, don’t add the extra syllable.
Most students will get the “d”/”t” ending right on their own because it’s hard to say “helpD” or “rainT.” If they don’t get this part just right, it’s OK because it’s a subtle error. But if
they run around saying “mashED potatoes,” English speakers think it’s hilarious.
If students do have trouble with the “t”/”d” distinction, teach it later, perhaps at the intermediate level. It’s just too linguistic for most beginning-level students.