Spelling Rules for Regular Past Verbs

Rule #1

If a verb ends in -e, add -d.

• like → liked
• arrive → arrived
• decide → decided

Rule #2

If a verb ends in consonant + -y, change -y to -i and add -ed.

• carry → carried
• try → tried
• study → studied

Rule #3

If a verb ends in vowel + -y, add -ed.*

• play → played
• stay → stayed
• enjoy → enjoyed

Rule #4

If a verb ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern, double the final

consonant and add -ed.**

• hug → hugged
• plan → planned
• stop → stopped

Rule #5

For all other verbs, add -ed.

• watch → watched
• ask → asked
• clean → cleaned

Notes

Rule #4 is true only for verbs that have the stress on the final syllable. Notice the
difference below:

• prefer → preferred
• visit → visited
Rule #4 also depends on which country’s spelling system you’re using. In the American
spelling of words ending in the CVC with consonant + e + l, the final l will not double in
the most commonly accepted form (e.g., travel → traveled, cancel → canceled). Most
other English-speaking countries prefer to double the final l (e.g., travel →
travelled, cancel → cancelled).

[t], [d] or [Id]

“-ed”

Past Tense | English Pronunciation

1) [t] final sound

Verbs ending in voiceless sounds [p, k, θ, f, s, ʃ, tʃ] cause the “-ed” ending to be
pronounced as the voiceless [t] our vocal chords do not vibrate
• [p] “He popped a balloon.” [papt]
• [k] “They talked a lot” [takt]
• [θ] “th”: “She frothed a cup of milk” [frawθt]
• [f] “I laughed at the movie.” [læft]
• [s] “She kissed a frog.” [kIst]
• [ʃ] “sh”: “We brushed it off.” [bruʃt]
• [tʃ] “ch”: “I reached around for it.” [riytʃt]

2) [d] final sound

Verbs ending in the voiced sounds [b, g, ð, v, z, ʒ, dʒ, m, n, ŋ, r, l] cause the “-ed”
ending to be pronounced as a voiced [d]. our vocal chords vibrate
• [b] “It bobbed up and down.” [babd]
• [g] “He begged her to stay.” [bɛgd]
• [ð] “She breathed loudly.” [briyðd]
• [v] “They loved it.” [luvd]
• [z] “We raised her expectations.” [reyzd]
• [dʒ] “They bridged the gap.” [brIdʒd]
• [m] “I claimed it was mine.” [kleymd]
• [n] “They banned new members.” [bænd]
• [ŋ] “She banged into the chair.” [bæŋd]
• [r] “He cleared it up.” [kliyrd]
• [l] “I rolled up the paper.” [rowld]
 3) [əd] or [ɪd] final sound

Verbs ending in the sounds [t] or [d] will cause the “-ed” ending of a verb to
be pronounced as the syllable [əd] or [ɪd].
• [t] “I visited the Empire State Building.” [vɪzɪtəd]
• [t] “She edited the research paper.” [ɛdɪtɪd]
• [d] “We ended the game early.” [ɛndɪd]
• [d] “He breaded the chicken.” [brɛdɪd]
Regular Verbs

Base Past 3rd Person Presente

Simple Past
Form Participle Singular Participle

accept accepted accepted accepts accepting

achieve achieved achieved achieves achieving

add Added Added adds adding

admire Admired Admired admires admiring

admit admitted admitted admits admitting

adopt Adopted adopted adopts adopting

advise Advised advised advises advising

agree Agreed agreed agrees agreeing

allow allowed allowed allows Allowing

announce announced announced announces Announcing

appreciate appreciated appreciated appreciates Appreciating

approve approved approved approves Approving

argue argued argued argues Arguing

arrive arrived arrived arrives Arriving

ask asked asked asks Asking

assist assisted assisted assists Assisting

attack attacked attacked attacks Attacking

bake baked baked bakes Baking

beg begged begged begs Begging

behave behaved behaved behaves Behaving

boil boiled boiled boils Boiling

borrow borrowed borrowed borrows Borrowing

brush brushed brushed brushes Brushing

bury buried buried buries Burying

call called called calls Calling

challenge challenged challenged challenges Challenging

change changed changed changes Changing

chase chased chased chases Chasing

cheat cheated cheated cheats Cheating

cheer cheered cheered cheers Cheering

chew chewed chewed chews Chewing

clap clapped clapped claps Clapping

clean cleaned cleaned cleans Cleaning

collect collected collected collects Collecting

compare compared compared compares Comparing

complain complained complained complains Complaining

confess confessed confessed confesses Confessing

construct constructed constructed constructs Constructing

control controlled controlled controls Controlling

copy copied copied copies Copying

count counted counted counts Counting

create created created creates Creating

cry cried cried cries Crying

cycle cycled cycled cycles Cycling

damage damaged damaged damages Damaging

dance danced danced dances Dancing

deliver delivered delivered delivers Delivering

destroy destroyed destroyed destroys Destroying

divide divided divided divides Dividing

drag dragged dragged drags Dragging

earn earned earned earns Earning

employ employed employed employs Employing

encourage encouraged encouraged encourages Encouraging

enjoy enjoyed enjoyed enjoys Enjoying

establish established established establishes Establishing

estimate estimated estimated estimates Estimating

exercise exercised exercised exercises Exercising

expand expanded expanded expands Expanding

explain explained explained explains Explaining

fry fried fried fries Frying

gather gathered gathered gathers Gathering

greet greeted greeted greets Greeting

guess guessed guessed guesses Guessing

harass harassed harassed harasses Harassing

hate hated hated hates Hating

help helped helped helps Helping

hope hoped hoped hopes Hoping

identify identified identified identifies Identifying

interrupt interrupted interrupted interrupts Interrupting

introduce introduced introduced introduces Introducing

irritate irritated irritated irritates Irritating

joke joked joked jokes Joking

jump jumped jumped jumps Jumping

kick kicked kicked kicks Kicking

kill killed killed kills Killing

kiss kissed kissed kisses Kissing

laugh laughed laughed laughs Laughing

lie lied lied lies Lying

like liked liked likes Liking

listen listened listened listens Listening

love loved loved loves Loving

marry married married marries Marrying

measure measured measured measures Measuring

move moved moved moves Moving

murder murdered murdered murders Murdering

need needed needed needs Needing

obey obeyed obeyed obeys Obeying

offend offended offended offends offending

offer offered offered offers offering

open opened opened opens opening

paint painted painted paints painting

park parked parked parks parking

phone phoned phoned phones phoning

pick picked picked picks picking

play played played plays playing

pray prayed prayed prays praying

print printed printed prints printing

pull pulled puled pulls pulling

punch punched punched punches punching

punish punished punished punishes punishing

purchase purchased purchased purchases purchasing

push pushed pushed pushes pushing

question questioned questioned questions questioning

race raced raced races racing

relax relaxed relaxed relaxes relaxing

remember remembered remembered remembers remembering

reply replied replied replies replying

retire retired retired retires retiring

return returned returned returns returning

rub rubbed rubbed rubs rubbing

scold scolded scolded scolds scolding

select selected selected selects selecting

smoke smoked smoked smokes smoking

snore snored snored snores snoring

stare stared stared stares staring

start started started starts starting

study studied studied studies studying

talk talked talked talks talking

thank thanked thanked thanks thanking

travel travelled travelled travels traveling

trouble troubled troubled troubles troubling

type typed typed types typing

use used used uses using

visit visited visited visits visiting

wait waited waited waits waiting

walk walked walked walks walking

want wanted wanted wants wanting

warn warned warned warns warning

wink winked winked winks winking

worry worried worried worries worrying

yell yelled yelled yells yelling